Gundam Wing: Type 2
by Chemiclord
Summary: A new threat... an unknown enemy... a whole new frontier... need I say more?
1. Episode 1: A New Beginning

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Episode 1: A New Beginning

It is the year After Colony 199, and the New Unified Sphere has branched into a more cohesive unit. The controlling powers of the governing bodies distributed more powers to various parts of Earth, dividing themselves into regions that work under the influence of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. These regions appointed advisors and congressional bodies to work under the sphere and more effectively relay the desires of a unified Earth.

Most of the regions appointed leaders that were to be expected, but there were two appointees that shocked the rest of the Sphere. These two seemingly came out of nowhere to take the roles of advisors, and for a great while, there was concern as to the their goals and aspirations, but they quickly became two of the most respected advisors of the Sphere.

The first was the Advisor of North Am, Aelan Marcus. The second, Kiron Gorrs; advisor to the Space Colonies. These two would soon perform actions that would cause a cataclysmic change in the future of the galaxy…

"Well, Noin, are you going to open it?" Relena asked.

Lucrezia Noin curiously tore open the seal. With a curious eye, she scanned the document, then her eyes opened in shock.

Nosily, Relena poked her head over Noin's shoulder, and her eyes too bulged in surprise.

__

To Whom It May Concern:

We are pleased to give you a special opportunity. As the Congressional Body of North Am, you were nominated and eventually chosen to assume the role of Chief Admiral of the North Am branch of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation Military.

We all hope for an affirmative response. You may reply either by letter, electronic mail, or by contacting the administrative office of the North Am Congressional Body.

With Thanks,

The letter was signed by the Majority Leader of the North Am Congressional Body. Noin moistened her lips slightly. Ever since joining OZ, this had been her goal, one that always seemed just out of reach. The idea of promoting peace in the belly of the beast so to speak struck a very tempting cord in Noin's soul. At the same time, she didn't want to leave the post that Zechs (Milando) had deeply requested of her.

"What do you think, Relena? Should I accept this?" Noin asked. Perhaps Relena could offer some clarity… 

Relena found herself stuck at an interesting crossroads. Her entire message had been one of total pacifism. She had never been fond of the fact that the Unified Nation had not totally demilitarized. At the same time, this was a chance of a lifetime for a good friend of hers.

So developed Relena's dilemma. If she gave Noin her blessing, and allowed her to take a head position in the military, she could be viewed as a hypocrite. On the other hand, if she refused Noin's opportunity, Relena could hurt a person who had become quite dear to her…

'Aww, to hell with what others think.' Relena finally decided to herself. Looking sincerely at Noin, Relena said, "Go for it."

For a split second, Noin wasn't sure she had heard right, "Pardon? You think I should?"

"Yes. This is something big. You've wanted a position like this for a long time. I can't deny you such an opportunity."

"But Miliardo wanted me here to counsel you. It doesn't seem right to back out now."

"My brother was merely concerned with setting me up right. He didn't expect you to dedicate your entire life to me. He'd probably smack you across the back of your head sticking it out this long."

"Are you sure?" Noin asked again. Relena's approval was almost too hurried, like the young woman didn't want Noin around anymore.

Relena put her hand on Noin's shoulder, and said soothingly, "Listen, I'm telling you this as your friend, not as the Foreign Minister. I want you to be happy with what you have. I know for a fact that deep inside, you've wanted something like this. I will not be the one to step in the way of your dreams."

Noin smiled slightly, and looked over the note one last time. It almost seemed too good to be true. Finally, her smirk became a grin, and she said more to herself than to Relena, "Okay. I'm going to do this."

__

Three Months Later

"Advisor Aelan Marcus has arrived, and is waiting to meet with you, Madame Peacecraft." Relena's secretary said over the comm unit. Relena smoothed out her skirt one last time, a nervous habit of hers. She was about to meet the charismatic advisor of North Am for the first time, and she wanted to make a good first impression.

She had heard a lot about the accomplishments of Advisor Aelan. He had brought North Am, which had been rather battle-torn in the recent wars to a position of prominence once again. In a mere two years, his often admired genius had made his area of control a model for all.

"Very good, Theresa. Send him up to my office." Relena said, then sat in the chair behind her desk. She took three deep breaths to settle herself. She was worried that she might come across as stupid. If half the things about this man's genius were true, he might as well have been the smartest man alive.

Once the advisor entered, she suddenly remembered the old saying, "The camera adds ten pounds." In Aelan's case, it might as well have been a hundred. He had always seemed big on the screen, yet the gentlest word she could come up with to describe Aelan's frame was lean.

There wasn't a spare inch of fat on his body, his skin seemed to cling to his smooth muscle texture like a second… skin? Looking at his face, he was calm, nearly unemotional. His hair was pulled forward, and his head was dipped slightly so that she couldn't quite see his eyes. For a moment, he vaguely reminded her of… Heero.

'No… not now…' Relena's mind hissed, 'When will you stop thinking of that man? You haven't seen him for three years. He hasn't even tried to contact you, and you have had no luck finding him.'

Suddenly, she looked up, and Heero asked, "Is something wrong, Madame?"

Relena shook her head rapidly, and Heero vanished, replaced by the concerned face of Advisor Aelan. She emitted a short, soft laugh, then replied, "No, I'm fine. I was just lost in my thoughts."

The Advisor grinned, and replied, "I do that myself sometimes." He looked around the office for a brief moment, then finally asked, "Can I have a seat?"

Relena jolted, then said, "Oh, of course, sit wherever you like." She took a few more deep breaths as Aelan sat in the seat across the desk from her, glancing quickly at his watch. Composing her thoughts for a minute, she finally began, "As you well know, A new president of the United Nation was sworn in a week ago, and before the first address of the state, he wanted all the advisors to be familiar with his goals for this term." She handed a sheet across to Aelan, who accepted it with a nod.

"I am impressed with our new president's approach. It is always a exceptional idea to make sure that the entire governmental structure is familiar with the aspirations of the new head of state in order to insure we are all on the same page." Aelan said as his eyes perused the material.

As he looked over the sheet, Relena continued, "I was simply going to send it to you all, but when I learned you were here on a visit with the Advisor to Euro, I figured I might as well give it to you personally."

"A kind gesture, I assure you." Aelan replied, still looking over the paper. He slid it into his briefcase, and glanced at his watch again.

"I've noticed you seem to keep looking at your watch." Relena asked, "Is there somewhere you have to be?"

Aelan quickly looked up, and replied, "Not really. I need to be back in North Am by tomorrow, and I would like to avoid the late shuttle."

"Why do you need to be back in North Am?" Relena asked.

"Admiral Noin has scheduled a meeting for me." Aelan answered.

"Pardon me if I ask, but how is Noin?"

Aelan pursed his lips in thought, then replied, "She fit admirably into her new role, just as I expected she would."

"You expected?"

"No one told you? I was the one who nominated her for the position."

Relena leaned back, thanking her good luck. "I've been wanting to ask the person who nominated her something for a while now. Why did you choose her?"

Aelan pursed his lips again, then answered, "Well, frankly, because of her association with you. I'm not in favor of keeping a good amount of military units, which is something that I will address to the new president at the state's meeting. However, if I must have a military unit at North Am, I wanted it to be run by a peace-minded individual. However, the Congressional Body demanded that the person also have military and leadership experience. Lucrezia Noin was an excellent choice on both counts."

"I see." Relena nodded, deciding that she was going to like this man, "I don't mean to pry, but I am curious as to why Noin would be so adamant that you have this meeting tomorrow."

"Well, from what I understand, this particular pilot is not a person who is known to stay in one place for any given amount of time. She wanted me to meet him before he moved on."

"This pilot?" Relena asked, stressing the last word, the back of her mind banging on her conscious self, as if demanding to speak. "Do you know this pilot's name?"

"Yes. I believe his name is Heero… Yuy? Yes, that's right. Heero Yuy."

Aelan was totally taken off guard by Relena lunging over the desk, and grabbing him by the lapels of his shirt. She shook him violently, demanding, "You know HEERO? WHERE IS HE?"

Aelan waited patiently for the effects of the recent Grade I concussion to wear off, and for the room to discontinue its maddening dance before his eyes. Next, his brain processed the pair of questions that had slipped in during his unexpected bout of vertigo.

"I… know of him. As to where he is, all I know is that he will be meeting with me tomorrow."

Relena suddenly pulled back, her fingers flying to the comm unit. "Theresa, cancel all my meetings for the next week, and book me an immediate flight to North Am."

"Yes, Madame." Theresa replied.

That settled, Relena starting looking at her laptop computer, analyzing the different wardrobe options she had available. "I want something that will get his attention." She muttered to herself. "Perhaps something low cut, but then he might think that I've turned into a floozy. Maybe a simple suit, but I don't want to look like some old maid…"

Aelan interrupted her train of thought, "Pardon me, Madame Minister?"

Relena looked over at Aelan, and asked, "Can I do something for you?"

"Yes. Perhaps… you could release me, please?"

Confused, Relena looked closer at the situation. Aelan had been pulled out of his chair, and was now leaning over her desk. While one of her hands was positioned over the keyboard of her computer, the other was still firmly clamped in a vise-like grip around the lapel of Aelan's shirt.

Embarrased, Relena released him, a flush coming to her cheeks. Even after three years, the mere mention of Heero turned on all sorts of embarrassing emotions. "I think I have covered all that I need to. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Yes, I suppose I shall." Aelan replied, yet couldn't help but eye the Foreign Minister warily as he left her office.

"I'm afraid to inform you, Admiral, but it appears that we will have an unexpected guest at our meeting."

"Who?" Noin asked over the portable comm.

"Foreign Minister Peacecraft."

"Relena's coming? Why?" Noin asked, then seemed to answer her own question, "Ohhhhh…"

"Is our young pilot going to find this acceptable?"

"I don't see why he wouldn't. Why do you ask?"

Aelan smoothed the lapel of his shirt again, and replied, "Well, because upon mention of the young pilot's name, Minister Peacecraft reacted in a manner that could have been misconstrued as first-degree assault."

Aelan could hear Noin chuckle before replying, "She's just excited about meeting Heero. It's been a while since the two of them saw each other."

"I see…" Aelan smirked, "Remind me not to excite her ever again."

__

The following day…

"Advisor Aelan?" Admiral Noin said as she poked her head, "He's here."

Aelan looked up from his paperwork, and neatly placed them in their respective folders, then very impeccably placed the folders in their designated spots. He looked up at the Admiral, then asked, "Still nothing from Minister Peacecraft?"

"If she's here, no one told me." Noin answered.

"Perhaps that is for the best." Aelan commented, then said, "Send him in."

At that moment, a squeal of delight, followed by a distinctive wail of "HEERO!" rang through the office. This was promptly followed with a sound of bodies collapsing to the floor. Concerned, Aelan stepped out of his office.

Admiral Noin was outside the door, and in the middle of the reception area was Foreign Minister Relena Peacecraft, laying on top of a young man that Aelan could only assume was Heero Yuy.

"She tackled him in a way that would make a defenseman jealous." Noin mused, "He never saw it coming."

"I don't doubt it." Aelan remarked, recalling his own incident at Relena's hands. "She is deceptively quick when she wants to be."

Heero remained emotionless, and Relena heard him say "Relena." It appeared to be more like a statement than a welcome, however. She refused to let it bother her. She knew how he must feel.

Meanwhile, Heero was pinned underneath a small mass of human flesh. It wasn't an unpleasant experience, but there was no way that he was going to admit it. 

"It's been so long, Heero. Why haven't you contacted me?" Relena asked, looking down into his eyes with a sorrowful expression.

Over the years since he became a Gundam Pilot, Heero had compiled a list of impossible things. These were things that for one reason or another, Heero was incapable of doing:

    1. It was impossible for him to accept failure during a mission.

    2. It was impossible to get Duo to shut up.

    3. It was impossible to kill young blonde girls.

    4. It was impossible to comprehend why Quatre was so cheery.

    5. It was impossible to figure out why Trowa's sister was so unthreatening yet her promise to get him back kept him up some nights.

Now he had another thing to add to his list. It was impossible for him not to feel something when Relena started pouting. Not that he'd ever show it, but for some reason that he couldn't fully understand, he couldn't help but say something to explain himself.

"It's not a complicated matter, Relena." Heero replied blandly, "I figured it was best to avoid contact for the time being. It would not have done you any good as a pacifist to be constantly in contact with a renegade soldier."

For some reason, that explanation didn't suit Relena. Her eyes narrowed, and she slapped him. "Is THAT the reason you've left me hanging for three YEARS?!" She snapped, slapping him again, "Because you didn't want to inconvenience me? That is the stupidest reason I've ever heard for anything! EVEN FROM YOU!"

Heero merely accepted the verbal and physical beating without even a hint he was feeling anything. It was probably best for her to expend all of her energy now, then perhaps it would be possible to have a rational discussion.

At that moment, Advisor Aelan decided to step in. "Pardon me, Madame Minister, but I'd appreciate it if you ceased your abuse of the pilot in question. There are many issues I wish to discuss with him."

Relena stared over at the advisor that would have probably burned twin holes in the chest of a normal man. Heero could barely hold in a chuckle. At the same time, Relena reluctantly stood up, and Heero followed suit. He strode quickly up to the Advisor of North Am, looking straight into the eyes of the man. Aelan stared right back, seemingly unfazed.

"I'm sure we do." Heero said, "I suggest we get started, I don't want to spend any more time here than necessary."

Relena watched Aelan and Heero walk inside, as she started to follow, Noin stopped her. Relena quickly protested, "But Heero…"

"Heero and Aelan have some business to discuss. You'll have time to talk to him later. Right now, I want to take a walk. Join me."

Relena rubbed her hands together. As much as she wanted to be with Heero, she knew that it wasn't right to come all this way, and not talk to one of her best friends. With a nod, she followed Noin outside the Advisor Building.

The governmental district of New Richmond was probably one of the most beautiful places Relena had ever seen. It was a testament to what Advisor Aelan had done since taking over. Two years ago, this place was a wasteland from various battles, one even involving the Gundams, if Relena wasn't mistaken.

Noin opened conversation, and asked, "You really missed him, didn't you?"

It took Relena a moment to reel her mind back into reality's grip. With a flush, she admitted, "Was it that obvious?"

"I was half expecting you to pull out a club, hit him over the head, and then drag him off to your cave."

Relena shook her head. "I don't fully understand it myself. I am obsessed with Heero. Every time I hear his name, I see him when he's not there. Every night, I swear I can hear him saying 'good night' to me. There are times where I'll be bored, like at a meeting, and I can almost feel him hold me. The funny thing is, he doesn't even appear at all interested in me, but I know better… you know?"

Noin dipped her head, her own infatuations coming to her mind, "I know precisely how you feel…"

Relena pulled out of her own fantasy just in time to recognize Noin's. "My brother is out there somewhere. I'm sure that he'll come around to you eventually. He simply has a lot of things to sort out."

"I know…" Noin sighed, then shook herself out of her daydreams, "Why am I wasting our time talking about silly men? How have things over on your side of the world been since I left? Tell me all the juicy details…"

"I think I understand." Heero said, "You want to duck the the whole messy business of getting the approval of the North Am congressional body by building an elite unit of your own."

"Actually, I have the full approval of the congressional body, Mr. Yuy. We have reached the agreement that there will be some issues in which a quick response, or a discreet one, will be necessary."

"I see…"

"Another reason I agreed to do this is that I'll have direct control over the project. You see… I don't fully trust the congressional body. The people of North Am have historically had a superiority complex, which has not been helped with the recent prosperity. Already, dissident talk that WE should be running the show is surfacing, talk that could become dangerous."

"You want people like me to keep these people quiet."

"Not exactly. It would take an awful lot for me to decide to do make a move with you against someone. We're not even fully sure if such a move is necessary. However, I'd like to be prepared if it does."

Heero leaned back in his chair slightly. Not even looking up, he asked, "I've been used by a lot of people. How am I to be assured that you are any different?"

"Well, this isn't an official organization. You have full control over what you do, and what missions you accept. I really won't have any power over you."

"I've heard that before."

Aelan sighed. This was a little tougher than he thought. Normally, he wouldn't be so persistent, but this pilot had skills that Aelan liked. "If at any time, you question my motives, I give you full permission to terminate me."

Heero's eyebrow raised. This was one he had never heard before. "Terminate you?"

"I have the best interest of North Am and the Earth Sphere Unified Nation in mind. If I lose those interests, than I don't deserve to be Advisor, and I should be removed from my position, by any means necessary."

Heero nodded. He found himself respecting Aelan, but talk is cheap. Well, he'd find out how serious he is when the time came.

"All right, you've convinced me." Heero said, without a hint of emotion, "I'm in. Is there anyone else who is in on this yet?"

"Funny you should say that, Heero." An obnoxious, yet familiar voice said from the next room. Heero frowned slightly as Duo Maxwell emerged into the office. "I knew that you couldn't resist the option to ply your trade again."

"What on earth are you thinking, Advisor Aelan?" Heero snorted, "I'm questioning your sanity already." Duo really didn't aggravate him as much as he let on, but there was DEFINITELY no way that Duo was going to EVER know that.

"He's a sound pilot, and you two have worked together well before. Between you two and Mr. Barton, I have a nice start."

"Trowa's here?" Heero asked, "I'm surprised that Catherine let him get away."

"Ah, Aelan was able to convince her that he was in very little danger." Duo said, "Speaking of girls, have you reached a decision about Hilde, Aelan?"

"I'm still not sure about that, Duo. I'd like to avoid such personal connections inside the organization. I'm not convinced that you'd be able to keep your mind on your… business."

"You doubt me?" Duo said innocently, "Do you honestly think that I can't focus on my duties when she's around?"

From behind Duo, Trowa smirked, and replied, "You can't focus on your duties to begin with, much less when Hilde's around."

"See what I mean?" Duo said, "Right there! I'm consistent. Hilde being here wouldn't change me at all!"

Aelan chuckled, "I'll think about it. Right now, I'd get accustomed to your new roles. I have had special underground docking bays installed for your mobile suits. I'll show you them tomorrow."

He stood up, and shook Heero's hand, "I hope this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship…"

__

Next time…

The Pilots receive their first mission under Advisor Aelan. Meanwhile, Aelan and Noin prepare for a trip to the colonies, and a discovery that could usher in a new era for all of humanity…

Coming in Episode 2: Reaching for the Stars


	2. Episode 2: Reaching for the Stars

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Episode 2: Reaching for the Stars

It is the year After Colony 199, and the New Unified Sphere has branched into a more cohesive unit. The controlling powers of the governing bodies distributed more powers to various parts of Earth, dividing themselves into regions that work under the influence of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. These regions appointed advisors and congressional bodies to work under the sphere and more effectively relay the desires of a unified Earth.

Most of the regions appointed leaders that were to be expected, but there were two appointees that shocked the rest of the Sphere. These two seemingly came out of nowhere to take the roles of advisors, and for a great while, there was concern as to the their goals and aspirations, but they quickly became two of the most respected advisors of the Sphere.

The first was the Advisor of North Am, Aelan Marcus. The second, Kiron Gorrs; advisor to the Space Colonies. These two would soon perform actions that would cause a cataclysmic change in the future of the galaxy…

Aelan rubbed his temple gently, and he sighed dejectedly. No matter how smart a man was no one could manage to take 13 million credits in budget, and fully fund projects that would need at least 16 million.

A knock was heard outside his door. Finally, an excuse to pull out of that Rubik's Puzzle. "Come in." Aelan said, and his three special Gundam Pilots strode into the office.

"You summoned us?" Duo asked, "What do you wish of us, o' master?"

"Cease and desist, Maxwell." Aelan replied, throwing a folder on his desk. Heero picked it up, and started flipping through the files, Duo and Trowa reading over his shoulder as they did so.

"We have reports of some remnants of White Fang residing in the highlands of the Mexican region. I'm not asking for you to engage in any combat maneuvers. All I wish of you is to scout and report."

"I see. Why do you want us to hold quarter?" Trowa queried.

"All these reports have confirmed is that there is unusual activity in an area in which White Fang used to inhabit. I'm not going to blow up something simply out of a suspicion. I know that you guys can be pretty quiet when you want to be, so I think you're the best ones to check this out."

"Very well." Heero replied, "What happens if we meet resistance?"

"Then by all means, strive to defend yourself. If it does turn out to be White Fang, or some other rebel faction, AND you think you can handle it, you have my green light to remove whatever threats you deem necessary."

Heero once again looked over the files and reports. Then he said those all too famous words…

"Mission accepted."

__

The Mexican Highlands, five hours later…

"We should probably set the Gundams down here, and proceed the rest of the way on foot." Trowa suggested. "We'll be less likely to be spotted, and if things get hairy, we do have the remote signalers installed now. We'll be able to call the Gundams in if there's trouble."

"Agreed. Let's set them down." Heero answered.

Minutes later, Duo finished the adjustments to his backpack. "Why do I have to carry all the heavy stuff, guys?"

Trowa shrugged, and replied, "You got the shortest straw."

Duo sighed, and replied, "Why do I get the feeling I'll always wind up with the short straw?"

"I would suggest that you both keep it down. We have no idea as to who, or what, is roaming this area." Heero chided.

The land was rather quiet and uninhabited. A perfect place for a surface base of White Fang. Quinze had been good at hiding in places that no one would think to look. Hiding on the planet that he had tried to destroy WAS rather crafty.

Stopping on an overlooking ridge, Heero and his companions ducked to the ground, out of sight of the valley below. Pulling out his binoculars, Heero scanned the area below.

"I see some White Fang mobile suits, but they look like they've been through hell. Looks like a battle went on here, not some base of operations. There are a few operational suits, but I don't see Fang markings."

"What about the facility?" Trowe asked.

"It seems deserted, but I really can't say for sure."

Duo pulled out his pistol, and looked suggestively at his comrades, "Then the only way to find out is to go in."

"You called for me, Advisor?" Noin asked.

"Yes, Admiral. Come in, and sit down." Aelan replied. Once Noin had done so, Aelan held up a memo sheet, "Supposedly, The L1 Colony has made an incredible breakthrough. Advisor Kiron suggests that it could break all limits of humanity. I've been invited to attend its first test."

Noin raised an eyebrow, and asked, "What does this have to do with me?"

"I was wondering if you could be my escort for this grand gala."

Noin leaned back in her seat a little, "Gee, it almost sounds like you are, what is the term, 'asking me out'?"

Noin watched as Aelan nearly jumped out of his seat. Was her question that accurate? Had she been leading the advisor on somehow? 

Aelan quickly shook his head, "Let's not make that assumption, Admiral. I was merely wondering if you would be interested in seeing a new era unfold. I would never be as bold, or as incompetent, to make such a statement. I do not believe in two people in such positions would be wise to interact in such a manner."

Noin breathed a sigh of relief. "I readily agree."

Aelan smiled again, then said, "Now that this particular discomfort has been cleared, would you like to attend this test?"

Noin returned the kind grin, and replied, "I'd love to."

The door opened without even a creak, raising Heero's level of alertness. Someone must have been here, recently and often. Once the path crossed away, Heero pointed Trowa to the right, Duo to the left, and he continued on straight.

As he walked through the pathway, he noticed several of the rooms in the facility in disrepair. Whoever had been here obviously had found little use for several of the rooms.

"Heero. Come in, Heero." Duo said softly over his comm-unit.

"What is it, Duo?"

"I've found what appears to be a living quarters. It looks like someone has been here, very recently. The bed is all made and everything."

"Any indication as to who might have done this?"

"Not so far. I see a picture of a man and someone who I think is his daughter, but other than that…"

"Very well. Contact me if you find anything else."

Finally the path opened into a large room. In the center stood a giant piece of technology, which didn't seem to be made by human hands. It was cylindrical, separated into three sections. It didn't seem to be activated, standing lifeless like a mechanical corpse.

Heero quietly stepped in front of a console in front of the device. There was no dust on the console, suggesting it had been used not to long ago. Suddenly, he heard footsteps. As they got closer, he was able to distinguish the type of shoe. Either Duo had taken up wearing high-heels, or… Heero quickly whipped around, pulling out his pistol.

The woman at the entrance also had a gun, pointed at Heero.

"Had I wanted to kill you, I would have done it when my sensors picked you three flying your little mobile suits in."

"In that case, drop your gun." Heero retorted.

"You first." The woman snapped back, "I don't want to kill you, but I will."

Heero complied, throwing his pistol in her direction. He had learned a lot from Relena, that sometimes the best way to win a fight is not to start one. If she didn't seem as honest as she appeared, well… that's what his second pistol was for.

"You aren't from L1. What are you doing here?" The woman demanded.

"My name is Heero Yuy. I am from North Am, and are investigating the White Fang presence here."

The woman laughed, and replied, "Well, you're four years too late. I took care of them."

"Who are you?"

"I am Amore Doran, daughter of the great scientist Julio Doran."

"Where is your father now?" Heero asked.

"He went into the Fold Generator fifteen years ago. He hasn't returned yet. All the rest of his team left about five years ago, giving up all hope. He's even been declared dead by the North Am government. I'm the only one who stayed. I know he's alive… somewhere."

"What is this Fold Generator?"

"Twenty years ago, an alien vessel crashed here. By the time my father arrived, whoever or whatever had come in this thing was long gone. It used an advanced mechanism to cross the void of space. When my father found it, the entire ship was scrapped."

"Somehow, he was able to figure out how they crossed all this way. In time, he built what you see behind you, the Quantum Fold generator. He took the coordinates that he discovered on the crashed ship, and went into the generator to test it."

"And he hasn't returned? Well, I think his team had the right idea. He's probably not coming back."

"Yes, he is. I know he is." Amore snapped back, "You don't know him. Nothing would come between him and his Amore, not even death itself."

Heero decided to concede the issue. There was no point in smashing her hopes. "Very well. Since you claim that there isn't a problem, and there is no evidence to suggest the contrary, I and my comrades will take our leave."

"That's probably the best idea you've had since you came to the highlands." Amore replied. As Heero called Duo and Trowe, and informed them to pull out, Amore said, "Next time knock. I'm not averted by strangers, but I am by trespassers."

Heero nodded, and picked up his gun as he left. "I'll remember that."

__

L1 Colony

Aelan felt the shuttle shake slightly as it connected with the docking bay for the L1 Colony. The pilot then appeared, and said, "We're docked. If you are ready, you can disembark the shuttle now."

Aelan nodded, and unbuckled the harness around him. Looking over at Noin, who had already unbuckled herself, they proceeded to leave the shuttle, and into the reception bay for the L1 Colony.

Waiting for them was none other than the Advisor the Colonies, Kiron Gorrs. "Aelan!" Kiron greeted warmly, "It's been too long since we've met in person."

"The feeling is mutual, Kiron." Aelan replied, "I have just been so busy planet-side that there just simply isn't much time to come up to space. Perhaps you should come down my way."

"I'll have to. Next month is the state's address, remember?"

"Oh, yes. Sometimes I forget the obvious things."

Kiron looked over his shoulder, at Admiral Noin, for the first time. "Who is this vision of loveliness that you have brought with you, Aelan?"

Noin snorted. She knew that her military uniform was not at all flattering.

"This is Chief Admiral Lucrezia Noin. I asked her to join me here." Aelan introduced.

Kiron stepped forward, and took Noin's hand in hers. Raising it to his lips, he kissed the back of her hand gently, "Knowing Aelan, I'm assuming that he chose well. It is a pleasure meeting you, Admiral."

"I am honored to meet you in person, Advisor Gorrs. I hope that my trip up here was worth the time I could have spent on Earth."

Kiron smiled slyly, and replied, "Oh, indeed it will. I'll be holding a gathering in the reception hall. Everyone is invited, of course. I shall explain what I plan to do tomorrow in a little more detail. It is entirely optional, but I do hope you'll be there."

"We will." Aelan stated, "When is it?"

"In an hour. Until then, why don't you look around this fair colony."

Aelan and Noin did just that, enjoying the sites of L1. As they stopped to pick up some pleasant snacks from a street vendor, a cheery voice said, "If it isn't Lu… I mean, Admiral Noin."

Noin turned around, and cheerfully said, "Quatre! What are you doing here?"

"Probably the same thing as you, to see what all the fuss is about." Quatre said.

Noin then remembered Aelan, and said, "Oh, where are my manners? Quatre, this is Advisor Aelan Marcus of North Am. Aelan, this is Quatre Raberba Winner."

The two men shook hands, and Noin added, "He is also one of the five Gundam pilots.

Quatre froze, and said, "Noin…"

"Don't worry. I'm actually pleased to meet you. Now I've met four of you Gundam pilots. If you weren't presently occupied, I'd be interested in recruiting you. I'm assuming the Winner family has a lot going on."

"He's already recruited Heero, Duo, and Trowa." Noin replied, "I'm still not sure if he wants to meet Wufei, though."

"He's not that bad once you get to know him." Quatre replied, "You know, I may be busy, but if you ever need anything, like a decent pilot, let me know, and I'll see what I can do."

"You seem so much more willing than the others. Heero basically had to make me sign a blood oath to get him to join."

Quatre laughed, "If you can convince Heero and Trowa, you already convinced me." 

Noin decided to intercede, "Do you have any idea what Advisor Kiron could be so excited about, Quatre? You spend more time in the colonies than anyone I know."

"I wish I knew. All I know is that it is supposed to be something big." At that moment, a group of girls screamed Quatre's name.

Aelan's eyes opened to saucers, when Noin chuckled, and said, "Some of your sisters?"

Quatre rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, then replied "Yeah." I guess they want me to get over there. I'm sure that we will meet again, Aelan, but I really must be going. I want to get a good seat for the speech."

Finally, the pair entered the reception hall. Aelan looked around for a pair of seats then Noin pointed down to the front. Relena was there, motioning at a pair of empty seats. The two took their seats, Noin sitting between Aelan and Relena. Noin looked around to see if she could spot Quatre, but with no such luck.

"When I heard that you were here, I saved these seats for you." Relena stated, "I wonder what is so great that Advisor Kiron called just about everyone and their mothers to see…"

Aelan then gestured to the stage, "I think that we are about to find out."

Advisor Kiron approached the pedestal of the reception hall, where the gathered diplomats and dignitaries of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation waited for his announcement.

With a grin that spread from ear to ear, the advisor to the Colonies began. "Thank you all for coming. This meeting is merely to prepare you for what shall be a momentous event in human history. Not even the great void of space will be able to keep humanity at bay any longer."

"Tomorrow you will witness a new dawn, a new chapter in our history. Tomorrow we shall unveil… the Quantum Fold Generator."

__

Next time…

The first test of the Quantum Fold Generator begins. The Gundam Pilots then report back to Advisor Aelan as to what they discovered. Finally, reports that the rebel group White Fang are indeed in control of the generator in Mexico causes the Gundams return.

Coming in Episode 3: Amore's Defiance


	3. Episode 3: Amore's Defiance

****

Episode 3: Amore's Defiance

It is the year After Colony 199, and the New Unified Sphere has branched into a more cohesive unit. The controlling powers of the governing bodies distributed more powers to various parts of Earth, dividing themselves into regions that work under the influence of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. These regions appointed advisors and congressional bodies to work under the sphere and more effectively relay the desires of a unified Earth.

Most of the regions appointed leaders that were to be expected, but there were two appointees that shocked the rest of the Sphere. These two seemingly came out of nowhere to take the roles of advisors, and for a great while, there was concern as to the their goals and aspirations, but they quickly became two of the most respected advisors of the Sphere.

The first was the Advisor of North Am, Aelan Marcus. The second, Kiron Gorrs; advisor to the Space Colonies. These two would soon perform actions that would cause a cataclysmic change in the future of the galaxy…

Admiral Noin stopped at the hotel room that Aelan had reserved for her. She started to walk to the door, then noticed that Aelan was walking past his room, and heading back outside the hotel.

"Aren't you going to call it a night?" Noin asked.

Aelan turned, and replied, "Oh, no. I'm going to go bother Kiron some. It's been a while since we've had a chance to just talk."

Noin smirked, then replied, "All right, just remember, I'm not gonna wake you up after you've been up all night partying…"

"Yes, MOTHER…" Aelan moaned sarcastically, "I won't be out long. Most likely Kiron will want to call it quits early anyway."

Noin slept peacefully, which was surprising. She had never been fully comfortable in space. So much of it was unknown, it's empty void would occasionally sparkle with the light of a distant star, but even then, it was like a curse of the void, places that could never be reached by humans. She could look, but could not touch.

In her dreams, she could touch those places. She could see all that was out there, her only limit her imagination. It was as if she was a god, looking down at the vastness of creation, yet with the innocence of a young child, marveling at every sight.

It was during this blissful dream that Aelan's voice rung in her mind. Usually, the advisor was welcome, but not this time. Nothing could compare right now…

"Admiral… it's time. Wake up." Aelan said, shaking her shoulder.

"Five more minutes…" Noin complained, trying to keep her dream in focus.

"You said that five minutes ago. Come on."

Noin growled, not pleased by the intrusion. However, the dream was gone. She slowly regained conscious control, and her eyes opened.

"You know, being the one who griped about waking ME up, you sure sleep soundly. I thought you didn't like being out in space." Aelan mused.

"I normally don't." Noin admitted, "I don't like not knowing… but something's different. It seems like we're on the verge of knowing it all…"

"I think you're putting a little too much faith in the first test of a new device. We aren't even fully sure what it's supposed to accomplish yet." Aelan mused. He seemed intent on being the voice of reason.

"Still, I…" Noin started to reply, then said, "Maybe you're right. But, I can't help but feel we're on the verge of something big."

"We'll soon find out." Aelan said softly, "I'll be outside. You get dressed, and meet me in the lobby."

"I'm ready." Noin chirped as she bounded down the spiral staircase.

"If it wasn't for the uniform, I would doubt you were any officer of North Am. Such childish behavior wouldn't be welcome under Admiral Noin's command." Aelan retorted without even a hint of a smile.

Noin stuck her tongue out, proving just how childish she can be. "Come on, Advisor. I don't want to have to count on Relena again to get us good seats for the test."

"I figured we were going to have breakfast first." Aelan replied, "That's why I got you up so early. I saw a nice little breakfast diner about a kilometer from here as I was coming to the hotel last night. I wanted to try it out before I had to go back planet-side."

Noin did realize that she was a little hungry. With a slight frown, she said, "All right, but we better not get nosebleed seats at the test. I want to see all of it."

"Don't worry about that. Kiron has reserved us some spots right at the front. Now come on, I'm starving."

Breakfast turned out to be very welcome. Noin realized just how hungry she was when she took her first bite. After that, it seemed like she couldn't stop. When all was finished, she looked at her accomplishment, four empty plates that had previously been filled with food.

"Do you eat often?" Aelan queried.

Noin grew defensive, "Hey, it takes a lot of fuel to get this soldier's body going."

"I see."

"It's not like you didn't have your fair share." Noin pointed out, gesturing at the three plates in front of the Advisor.

"It was good, and pushing papers can be very draining in its own right." Aelan retorted, "I guess that you are right, though. I am in no position to criticize."

"You are right in one regard. I do need to calm down. I'm acting like a child."

"Don't worry about that. I actually am rather interested in seeing the part of you that normally doesn't get the chance to come out from behind that uniform of yours."

"Yeah, but the rest of the higher-ups might not." Noin replied. She smoothed out her uniform once, and reigned in her enthusiasm. "Shall we get going, Advisor?"

"Indeed."

The pair left the diner, and stepped onto the conveyor that would take them to the monorail system. As they drifted by the various streets of the colony, Noin happened to catch a glimpse of something that caught her eye. A person stepped around the corner of a building she had just passed. This wasn't normally anything important, except that the long, flowing mane of platinum-blonde hair could only belong to one person.

"Miliardo!!!" Noin screamed, jumping the conveyor's divider, onto the other belt heading the opposite direction.

"Admiral, what in the heavens are you trying to accomplish?" Aelan shouted as Noin leaped off the other belt, and onto the street just below. 

She charged through the walkway, nearly knocking over the street vendor they had visited yesterday, barreling through anybody foolish enough to get in her way. Never had time seemed to travel so quickly. "I have to catch up to him before…"

She turned the corner of the building that she swore Miliardo had ducked behind just seconds before. "…I lose him…" Noin sighed dejectedly. She could have sworn that he had been there. But there was no sign that anybody had been in the alley, and it was unlikely that any human could have scaled the five-meter wall at the end that quickly.

"He was here. Miliardo was here…" Noin repeated, refusing to believe that her eyes might have been merely been playing tricks on her.

"Admiral, I think we need to talk." Advisor Aelan panted, finally catching up to her, "Perhaps you could entertain me as to your rationale for this recent action?"

"He was here…" Noin replied flippantly.

"Who was here?"

Noin shook her head, and said, "Never mind. We have to get moving if we want to get to the test on time."

Noin started to walk away, and it took a moment before she heard Aelan start to follow. "And I pick on Relena about her obsessions…" She muttered to herself, dismally stepping back onto the conveyor.

Aelan and Noin made it to the science bay with only a few minutes to spare. Sure enough, Aelan had been able to reserve some special seating next to the science crew, right in the front of the assembly.

"How did you manage this?" Noin asked.

"It pays to be good friends with the Colony Advisor." Aelan replied, just as the advisor in question stepped to the front of the assembly. He gestured behind him to a multi-tiered device standing in the center of the bay. Various wires, in a multitude of sizes and colors lead off to several consoles, each manned by one of the few science officers allowed onto the bay floor.

"Gathered guests, I present to you the Quantum Fold Generator." Advisor Kiron replied, "To explain further just what this device will enable us to do, here is Chief Science Officer Ryu Jumija."

A short, stocky Asian man stood up three seats away from Admiral Noin, and made his way to the front of the assembly. He attached a small microphone to his breast pocket, then said, "Thank you, Advisor Kiron. The Quantum Fold Generator will allow us to travel places that we had never thought possible. Now light years distance can be crossed in mere seconds. The stars are now truly in our grasp."

The scientist moved over to a projection display, and stared pointing at various articles of calculations and diagrams. "By using an intense graviton pulse, and generating a massive gravitational field at two points, the origin and destination, we will cause the two areas to start to develop a state similar to a black hole. The fabric of space-time will start to fold as the two quasi-holes start to pull together. Finally, the two points will converge just before singularity, causing a 'shortcut' in space-time."

"Three months ago, we sent out a probe to just beyond the orbit of Pluto. There, it set up a relay point in which we will be able to generate the destination gravity well. These relay points have about a 500,000-kilometer range in which we can generate a destination point. Within 50 years, we should have a matrix that could possibly cover a quarter of the galaxy."

"Now, we are going to call in the probe from the relay point. This will be the first official test of the Fold Generator." Science Officer Ryu then nodded to one of the many technicians, who began the process.

The generator started to hum quietly, and a pulsing light began to shine through the outer shell of the machine. "Gravity well forming." A technician reported, "Connection to relay point confirmed. Beginning destination well…"

Suddenly, the science bay was bathed in red light. Alarms and klaxons blared, causing the assembly to panic slightly. The technician which had been reporting suddenly shouted, "The gravity well isn't slowing. The origin hole is still expanding, now at 120% required size… 130%… 150%."

"At this rate, it will expand into a full-blown black hole!" Another tech shouted, "We need to power down!"

"Do it!" Officer Ryu ordered. The device stopped pulsing and humming, dying down into inactivity. At the same time, the alarms ceased. 

Advisor Kiron then stepped in front of the assembly, and said, "Perhaps we haven't worked all the bugs out of the system. It might take some time to figure out what went wrong. I will inform all of you when we have completed the diagnostics."

The assembly then filtered out of the bay, grumbling about wasted time, and getting them all excited. As Noin stood up to leave as well, Science Office Ryu walked by, mumbling, "Why did the hole keep expanding, and at such a steady rate? That sort of occurrence couldn't have been by chance…"

"Did you hear that, Aelan?" Noin said, "Could someone have sabotaged the generator?"

"Don't you think you're jumping to conclusions, Admiral?" Aelan answered, "Sometimes these things happen. I'm just glad they were able to get it under control."

"Aren't we going to investigate?" Noin asked in disbelief. Aelan was usually such a curious person. He rarely left a stone unturned.

"Any investigation into the matter is for Advisor Kiron to decide. As for me, I have work to attend to in North Am."

Noin frowned, and stood firmly in place as Aelan reached out to guide her to the door, "I'm not going anywhere until I get to the bottom of this. Something's not right."

Aelan shook his head, and sighed, "Very well. Talk to Advisor Kiron. It will be his decision, though. Report back to me if you find anything." With that Aelan walked out of the science bay.

Quatre tapped Noin on the shoulder, and asked, "Did I hear that you were going to talk to Advisor Kiron about an investigation?"

"Quatre!" Noin remarked, surprised to see him sneak up behind her. "Yes, that's right. If he'll let me, though."

Quatre seemed to think for a moment, then stated, "Perhaps we could investigate this matter together, without the interference of the Colony Advisor. He has too much at stake in this whole project. He probably wouldn't be willing to admit that there is a saboteur in the ranks."

__

North Am

Aelan stepped into the office, where the three Gundam Pilots were waiting.

"So, how was L1?" Duo asked conversationally.

"Not as exciting as I had hoped." Aelan motioned for them to follow him into his office. They all took their seats, and Aelan leaned back, saying, "I take you finished your scouting report."

Heero nodded, "There were signs of a White Fang presence at the facility, but it looked like they had been gone for some time. We met one woman, Amore Doran, who seemed to be guarding the place for her father, Julio. She explained that her father had left in what she called a Quantum Fold fifteen years ago."

"A Quantum Fold? Odd, I was just on the L1 colony, where they were testing a Quantum Fold generator. Noin suspected it was sabotaged. Perhaps there is some connection?"

Heero recalled his conversation with Amore, and replied, "She DID mention L1, and she didn't seem too pleased about it."

Duo looked over at Heero, and suggested, "Could Amore have gotten someone to sabotage the Fold Generator at L1?"

"Let's not jump to conclusions, people." Aelan replied.

"Actually, let's jump to conclusions." Trowe said. He was looking at his laptop screen, then read off the screen, "Amore Doran, Alliance Engineer AC 192-194. Dishonorably discharged for refusing to accept relocation orders. Seen working with the rebel group, White Fang."

"She WAS with White Fang!" Duo shouted, "The hussy lied to us!"

"If she lied to us about her allegiance, what else did she lie to us about?" Trowe asked, "Could it be that she wanted the L1 generator off-line to cover up something she's hiding?

At that moment, Aelan's terminal beeped, he looked over the incoming report, then said, "Well, well, well. Looks like our little Amore HAS been up to something. According to sensor data from the colonies, there has been several gravity fluxuations in the Mexican Highlands, matching the coordinates of Amore's facility. Long-range Infrared satellite pictures show several heat sources underneath the facility in question. They appear to match the signatures of… Mobile Dolls."

"HELL NO!" Duo shouted, "We've been played! She tricked us!"

Aelan turned, "It appears that she has been using a functional Fold Generator to ship in Mobile Dolls, possibly from White Fang. Return to the facility, and destroy it. We can't risk any more units coming through. I'll try to get the Congressional Body to scrounge up some reinforcements, but that might take some time."

The three stood up, and Heero replied, "We will handle this issue, Advisor."

__

Back to the Mexican Highlands…

As the three Gundams approached at full speed, Heero's comm unit blared to life, "What is the meaning of this?" Amore shouted, "I thought I had satisfied your curiosity."

"Recent revelations have caused us to question your story." Heero replied blandly.

"Like what?" She asked, seemingly confused.

"Oh, certain associations with White Fang, for one." Duo shouted.

Amore was silent for a second, then replied, "All right… Yes, I worked with White Fang. They offered to help maintain the Fold Generator in exchange for its use. I pretended to agree, but always said that there were problems. They were never able to use it once."

"Then what about the Mobile Dolls that are being shipped in as we speak?"

"WHAT!" Amore yelled, flabbergasted, "I've never shipped in anything with this generator. I'm waiting for my father to come back!"

"You've lied to us before, babe." Duo retorted, "Why should we believe you now?"

"I swear it! Yes, there are MD's here, but they've been here for years! As DEFENSE!" Amore insisted.

Heero stopped his advance at the facility, and the other Gundams followed suit. Heero remembered some of Relena's advice, "Often there are three sides to an issue, one person's side, the other person's side, and the truth. Usually, the truth lies somewhere in between the two differing opinions."

Heero then pronounced, "Listen, let us take you back to North Am. You can talk to Advisor Aelan. Perhaps there is just a simple misunderstanding."

"I can't leave here now! What if my father decides to come back!"

"If you don't agree to come with us now, we can only take your response as an act of defiance, and we will be forced to destroy this entire facility."

Amore didn't budge, "I'm NOT leaving. The only way I leave here is in a body bag." With that, she killed the transmission.

"Amore, don't do this." Heero warned, but there was no response. He hung his head. His options were gone, the only thing left to do was follow through with his orders.

Heero gripped the control stick in his left hand a little tighter, and said, "Duo, swoop in low along the east. Trowe, provide cover fire. I'm sure those Mobile Dolls won't stay inactive much longer. I'll go straight head on. Engage on my mark."

Heero ducked his head, and focused on the job at hand. Even though Amore's defiance had left him with no other course of action, Heero didn't like this. Not one bit. Finally, he lifted his head, eyes staring directly at his goal, focusing as if his gaze alone could cause the building to obliterate itself.

After that, he said only one word…

"Mark."

__

Next Time…

__

The three Gundams begin the assault on the Generator Facility, going up against heavy resistance. Then Wufei arrives, and helps in the defense of Amore. Just as things start to get ugly, Noin and Quatre arrive, delivering disturbing news…

Coming in Episode 4: Unusual Suspects


	4. Episode 4: Unusual Suspects

****

Episode 4: Unusual Suspects

It is the year After Colony 199, and the New Unified Sphere has branched into a more cohesive unit. The controlling powers of the governing bodies distributed more powers to various parts of Earth, dividing themselves into regions that work under the influence of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. These regions appointed advisors and congressional bodies to work under the sphere and more effectively relay the desires of a unified Earth.

Most of the regions appointed leaders that were to be expected, but there were two appointees that shocked the rest of the Sphere. These two seemingly came out of nowhere to take the roles of advisors, and for a great while, there was concern as to the their goals and aspirations, but they quickly became two of the most respected advisors of the Sphere.

The first was the Advisor of North Am, Aelan Marcus. The second, Kiron Gorrs; advisor to the Space Colonies. These two would soon perform actions that would cause a cataclysmic change in the future of the galaxy…

__

The Day before…

"So you mean to tell me every surveillance camera in the bay mysteriously went off-line the night before the test?" Noin said doubtfully.

"I never said it made sense." The Security official replied, "I'm just saying what happened. The entire network in the science bay went down for about five minutes, then reactivated after that. From that point on, there were no problems."

"Could five minutes be enough to sabotage the Fold Generator?" Quatre mused, "It seems awfully convenient that only the science bay would be affected."

"That's an awfully complex device to sabotage in just five minutes." Noin replied, "But you're right, it's awfully convenient. Let's talk with Science Officer Ryu. Maybe he could give us some clarity as to who could have done this."

"I can't think of anyone with the capability to perform such a complex act of sabotage in just five minutes. The man or woman who did this performed such complex actions inside the generator that we would never see the interference until we began the test." Ryu Jumija replied.

"How long would it normally take to do something like that?" Quatre asked.

"Don't get me wrong." The science chief corrected, "It is possible to do it, but they would have needed to understand the generator so perfectly, that they would only be able to make each adjustment perfectly the first time, and without needing to run a test to ensure the sabotage would work. Not even I am that confident in my abilities."

"I see." Noin replied, "Thank you, sir. You've been most helpful."

Noin and Quatre left the Science Bay, and started to compare notes.

"Do you think that Science Officer Ryu could have been responsible for the sabotage?"

"Why would he want to do that?" Noin asked, "This is his credibility we are talking about. Most scientists aren't willing to give that up for all the credits the world can offer."

"Perhaps…" Quatre admitted, "but I still think that we can't totally rule him out as a suspect."

"Agreed." Noin added, then said in alarm, "Heads up, it's Advisor Kiron."

The Colony Advisor approached them, and he seemed a little surprised, "Admiral Noin, I'm surprised you are still here. I figured you would have went back to Earth with Advisor Aelan."

"When I ran into Quatre at the assembly, I decided to spend a little time to catch up with each other. It's been a while since we met last." Noin explained.

"I see." Kiron nodded, "Well, far be it for me to interfere with two old friends swapping war stories. I'll leave you be."

The Advisor left, and Noin sighed in relief. "Are you sure you think that Advisor Kiron is in on this?"

"I don't necessarily think he's in on any sabotage, but I don't think that he'd be too willing to admit that someone under his charge isn't totally devoted to the advancement of humankind." Quatre explained, "He's been trying really hard to copy what Aelan did with North Am, and it wouldn't look good for his record if a saboteur emerged under his nose."

"I see…" Noin replied. A man walking the other way bumped into her, knocking over his satchel of goods. "Hey, pal, watch where you're walking."

He pulled the brim of his hat down slightly, then muttered, "I'm sorry." He knelt down to pick up his goods, then asked, "Can you help me, ma'am?"

With an exasperated breath, she complied, and started to pick up some of the various items. He put his hand on her shoulder, and whispered, "I hear that you're looking for the saboteur."

"Who are you?" Noin asked.

"That's not important. I will tell you that I am one of the technicians who worked on the Fold Generator." The man replied, "I think I might have the answer that you are looking for."

"What do you mean?"

"It is true that the security cameras in the science bay went down during the night, but there still were eyes on the fold generator."

"Explain."

"One of the technicians in the science bay was developing a sonic camera. It would record images in low or no light. It used a similar principle as sonar systems, but at a much higher resolution."

"And this is important… how?"

"The technician left it on during the night to test if it worked to the degree he was hoping for. It wasn't connected to the same control board as the security system, so it remained on, and in perfect position to see the saboteur."

"Where is the recording now?"

The man gently placed a small disc in Noin's hand, "Right here. I should warn you though, you'll never believe who did it."

"Who?"

The man finished packing his equipment back in his satchel, and stood up. "I'll let you see it for yourself. I already said you'd never believe it…"

Noin opened the door to her hotel room, and ushered Quatre inside. She closed the door, and pulled the drapes hanging at the sides of the full-size windows shut. "All right, pop the thing in, and let's see who's behind all this."

Quatre inserted the disk into the computer terminal located on Noin's desk. He sat down in the chair in front of the terminal, with Noin leaning over his shoulder. As the black and white scene started to play, Noin instructed, "Advance it to 23:50 hours, that's when the security cameras went down."

Quatre complied, and the next few hours of tape flew by in super speed. Finally, the all-important timeframe started to play. Sure enough, a man entered the science bay, seemed to work on the generator, and then walked out, but not before the camera got a clear shot of the man's face.

Noin's jaw dropped in total disbelief, "Quatre, why don't you come with me to Earth. They might want to hear this from a friend."

"Understood."

Deathscythe Hell shot off to the east, then cut in low, flying mere feet above the rocky ground of the Mexican highlands. Several hidden bays opened in the ground just past the facility's main structure, and out flew 20 Taurus class Mobile Dolls.

"They just had to be Taurus's, huh?" Duo commented with a wry smile, "Leave it to a White Fang dissident to have the finest equipment available." At that moment, he heard the sound of gunfire just above him. HeavyArms was starting to provide cover fire. Duo activated the twin scythe of his Gundam, and prepared to engage the Taurus's at close range…

Meanwhile, Heero ignited Zero's beam sabre, and launched the Gundam ahead, as if he were trying to go in the main entrance. More Mobile Dolls started to emerge, but Wing Zero had too much of a head start, slicing through the defense units before they could even take off. He stopped right in front of the north entrance of the facility, near meters from the double doors. From there, Heero pulled out his twin buster rifle, and aimed it at the center of the facility, where the Quantum Fold generator, and most likely Amore, waited.

"I'll give you one last chance, Amore." Heero warned, "It doesn't have to come to this. Surrender your post, and nobody will have to die here."

"I already told you. I'm not leaving. You're going to have to destroy this whole place." Amore replied.

"Amore, your father is dead. There is no point in waiting for him. He's not coming back."

"YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!" Amore screamed, "He's not dead, HE'S NOT!"

"I don't want you give up your life for some stupid fantasy, Amore. If he hasn't come back yet, it's doubtful that he ever will."

"You don't know him, Heero. He'd never die without saying goodbye to his Amore… he wouldn't…"

Heero sighed in defeat. He couldn't tell if she really was dedicated to her father's return, or if it was just another ruse to buy her some time to gain some reinforcements. Suddenly a blip appeared on Heero's sensor screen, and he decided that it was the latter. He prepared to fire, but the reinforcements came a lot faster than he had expected. An enemy mobile suit collided with Wing Zero, sending the buster blast off harmlessly into the atmosphere. Wing Zero quickly regained its balance, and sought to identify its new foe.

"Wufei?" Heero asked. He wasn't sure what to make out of all this. Sure enough, Altron stood between Wing Zero and the Generator facility.

"Wufei, what the hell are you doing?" Duo shouted.

"I will not tolerate such injustice, even from you, my friends." Wufei calmly explained. "Amore Doran has not harmed anyone, and I cannot allow you to harm her."

"You IDIOT!" Duo hissed, "She's shipping in Mobile Dolls from God knows where! They probably belong to the remnants of White Fang!"

"Can you prove any of this?" Wufei demanded, "I cannot allow you to harm a woman simply due to mere accusations."

"Regardless, our mission is to destroy the Fold Generator. If you do not step away, I will be forced to kill you." Heero replied. He figured that his friends would have realized by now that not even they can step in the way of him completing his mission.

"You are welcome to try, Heero Yuy. Nataku and I will fight to our last to stop you!"

"STOP!" A voice blared over Heero's intercom. From the reaction of the other pilots, they heard it as well. From the skies above, two more suits slowly became visible. Soon after, Sandrock and Noin's Ares dropped into the battlefield.

"Great, now the whole gang's here…" Duo quipped.

Trowe quickly asked, "Quatre, are you friend or foe?"

"Neither." Quatre replied, "This has all been a setup."

"I suggest you explain, Quatre." Heero said blandly.

Noin stepped in instead. "The Fold Generator on L1 was sabotaged yesterday."

"I fail to see how this is relevant."

"Just bear with me. Quatre and I discovered who sabotaged the generator. It was… Aelan."

"WHAT?" Duo shouted, "Did you check your air supply when you left the colony?"

"It's true. A camera in L1's science bay caught him the act. We hoped to contact you when we got back to Earth." Quatre answered, "However, by the time we arrived, you had just left for here."

Quatre took a deep breath, and continued, "When we learned that there was a Fold Generator here on Earth, we put it together. Aelan is trying to destroy the generators."

"For what purpose?" Duo asked, "It doesn't make any sense."

"I agree." Heero replied, "Aelan doesn't gain anything with this…"

At that moment, his transmission was interrupted, "Heero! Come in, Heero!" Aelan shouted over the comm-unit. He seemed agitated.

"What is it, Advisor?" Heero replied.

"Please tell me you didn't destroy the generator."

"No, we didn't. Why?"

"Something's wrong. Return to North Am, and I'll explain."

"You mean to tell me that somebody hacked into the colony's sensor array, and sent you false information about the status of Amore's Fold Generator?" Noin asked.

"According to Advisor Kiron, yes. I'm not sure why, but when I heard about this, it started to add up. There's a setup here, that's for sure, and it appears I'm the target."

"Then again, you could be making this up to cover your own ass." Wufei suggested, "When you realized that Noin was onto you, you made up this story."

Noin shook her head, "I didn't tell Aelan that I arrived, or that I had found who I thought was the saboteur. There was no way he could have known."

Heero leaned back a little heavier on the wall, and crossed his arms, "So… someone is trying to destroy the Fold Generators, and tried to have Advisor Aelan take the fall."

"It appears so, and until I find out who, I want Amore's generator guarded at all costs." Aelan replied, "I will inform the Congressional Body of this development. I want all of you to try and figure out who is behind this." Then glancing at Wufei and Quatre, he replied, "If you would be willing to help."

Quatre nodded, "Of course."

"Slinking in the shadows, and blaming others for your injustices is not what I would consider honorable." Wufei stated, "I will hunt down the man to repay due justice on his evils."

"Good. Let's get going." Aelan replied, and the group filtered out of Aelan's office, and just in time. His terminal beeped in an odd chord, and Aelan sat down in his chair.

Aelan unplugged the keyboard from the main terminal, then reached into his desk drawer, pulling out a different board, marked with symbols that bore no resemblance to any human language. Taking a deep breath, he began to type…

**__**

    * What's going on?

He waited for a few moments, then the reply arrived…

_
* I spoke with the Tenant Council. They have reached a decision on Earth.
**
* And that is…?
**
* They have decided because humans have gained access to Fold technology, that they are now far too great of a threat. We have been ordered to proceed with their extermination.
**
* What? The only reason they HAVE Fold technology at all was because WE screwed up.
**
* I know, but it's a moot point now. They have it, and the Tenant Council has decided that they can't continue to survive. We are to initiate the operation.
_

Aelan sighed, and rubbed his forehead. This was not what he had wanted to hear, but orders were orders. With a heavy heart, and seemingly equal heavy hands, Aelan typed…

**__**

    * All right, what's the plan of action?

    * We need to cause the Earth to bring arms upon one another again. The logical first course of action is to remove the primary voice of peace.
****

    * You don't mean…?

    * Yes. We are to terminate Relena Peacecraft.

Next time…

Duo receives an order that he is none too keen to carry out. At the Earth Sphere Unified Nation state's address, Duo and Aelan try to find a way around Relena's death warrant, but what happens when Heero gets to her first? 

Coming in Episode 5: The State's Address


	5. Episode 5: The State's Address

****

Episode 5: The State's Address

In the year After Colony 199, humanity started to begin another chapter in their existence. The development of technology that would allow humans to totally break the bonds of the Earth was supposed to be the first step in a new era.

However, it became apparent that someone did not want this era to arrive. As the year After Colony 200 approaches, an alarming unrest is beginning to show itself, and it bodes ill for the precarious peace brought about by the Earth Sphere United Nation…

"You called for me, Advisor?" Duo asked as he stepped into Aelan's office.

The Advisor to North Am turned in his chair to face Duo, his head pointed downward, looking at a memo in his hand. "There has been a most disturbing development recently. I'm afraid that everything I feared has come true."

"What's that?" Duo asked, pulling up a chair for himself. Aelan handed him the memo, and the Gundam pilot looked it over. His jaw dropped, and she shook his head in disbelief, "What in the heaven's name are these people thinking?"

"I don't know." Aelan remarked, "The Congressional Body has always been a bit full of themselves, but I never really thought that they'd go to this degree. Needless to say, I can't go along with this…"

"You're damn right you can't!" Duo replied.

"The problem is, the Congressional Body holds all the cards. If I don't do as they want, they'll simply impeach me, and put in somebody who is more willing to do their bidding."

"You aren't seriously considering doing this!" Duo gasped.

"OF COURSE NOT!" Aelan replied adamantly, "We just have to make sure that it APPEARS that we have done what they want."

"Just what are you getting at?" Duo asked.

"We'll make our move at the State's Address next week. Relena will most certainly be there. We'll pull her out then, leaving nothing more than a falsified assassination."

"I see." Duo replied, "Then we can confront the Congressional Body with this outrage."

"Exactly."

Duo stood up, then looked baffled, "Why me, Advisor? Heero's the better assassin. They'd be a lot more ready to believe that Heero did the deed."

Aelan looked up, and replied, "I don't think that it would be wise to let Heero in on this. As much as he tries to hide it, he has attachments to Minister Peacecraft that I'd rather not mess with. Besides, the less people who know about this, the better."

"I see…" Duo replied, then finally agreed, "I guess you're right. All right, Advisor, I'll play this game." After he closed the door, he added, "But not until after I've informed Heero of this…"

Heero actually enjoyed the game of basketball, even though you could never tell it just by looking at him. Indeed, his visible reaction to almost anything resembled the enthusiasm of a teenager told to take out the trash. Regardless, there was a certain elegance to the game that appealed to Heero, and gave him a great deal of enjoyment that he rarely had the time to divulge in.

Which was why he wasn't exactly fond of Duo taking the ball from him suddenly. "Heero, we got to talk."

"Later." Heero replied simply, snatching the ball back. 

Duo retaliated by stealing it again, "You don't understand. It's really important."

Suddenly, Heero whipped out his pistol (where on earth does he hide that thing?), and pointed it at Duo's forehead, "Important enough to risk your life?"

"Well, it's either mine or Relena's." Duo said passively.

There was no outward change in attitude, but Heero was now definitely interested in what Duo had to say. Obviously, Duo took Heero's silence as permission to continue, because the pilot said, "North Am's flipped, they've decided that it's their time to take over." He handed Heero the memo, and added, "They plan to kill Relena, and have ME do it."

The idea of Duo killing Relena suddenly made Heero's trigger finger a little itchy. Duo seemed to recognize this, then quickly added, "I'm NOT going to do it! Aelan and I have a plan to get her out of there."

"Why should I be concerned about this?" Heero replied, "Do what you feel you must." He handed the memo back to Duo, and put the pistol away.

"Are you sure this doesn't bother you?" Duo asked.

"Why should it?" Heero retorted, "All I want from you is to get out of my way. I was actually enjoying myself for once." He punctuated the statement by taking his basketball back one last time.

As Duo left, Heero couldn't help but ask himself Duo's question. It did bother him actually. As he had read the memo about killing Relena, his blood had started to boil. 'What? Bothering me?' He thought.

He could remember 4 years ago wanting to kill Relena himself. Now the idea of her dying was like slamming a dagger into his heart. When did that happen? When did he start feeling this way?

At first, he had just brushed it aside as mere guilt. He was seeing the little girl he killed in Relena. Well, when he saw Relena now, he CERTAINLY didn't see a little girl. Could he be… falling for her?

It didn't matter whether or not Duo really planned to kill her; Heero was going to get there first…

__

The Following Week

One of the little quirks of a tuxedo that Aelan never seemed to be able to master was the tie. It wasn't that he didn't know the principle to tying one; it was just that he couldn't see himself do it, and mirrors were known to twist things around. The material slid out of his hand for the twenty-first time (Yes, he counted), and he grunted in disapproval.

From behind him, he heard a feminine chuckle, "Are you having technical difficulties?" Noin asked.

"I suppose that is a most accurate way to describe my dilemma." Aelan admitted, "I've never been able to accomplish this simple task adequately."

"Well, turn around, and let me see that." Noin ordered, and the advisor complied. "The nice thing about a military uniform, even a dress one, is that it isn't quite as complicated." Noin commented, her slender fingers weaving through the knot in the tie, "There, that should do it."

"Thank you." Aelan replied with a slight smile.

"I'm glad you aren't going to carry out the order of the Congressional Body." Noin said sheepishly, "Relena's a very good friend of mine."

"What?" Aelan hissed, "How did you know…" At that moment, the bolt of realization struck him, "I KNEW I should have chosen Trowa…"

"Don't worry. Duo knows who his friends are. He wouldn't spill the beans to just anybody."

"I suppose, but I wanted this to be between Duo and I. The less people who know, the less likely someone's going to make a mistake."

"Regardless, they're waiting outside." Noin replied, "We need to get going. As it is, we'll make it just in time for the address."

Noin stepped out of the office, and Aelan followed, closing the door behind him. Trowa, Quatre, and Wufei were lined up like army privates at full attention, dressed in quite admirable finery.

"Looking good, gentlemen." Noin said approvingly.

Trowa looked a little sheepish, then replied, "Quatre had to help me with the tie…"

"Really?" Noin queried, looking at Aelan, who glared back with a face that nearly screamed, 'Don't you dare…'

Aelan looked around the reception area, then asked, "Where's Duo?"

At that moment, a blur burst out of the side offices, and slid on both knees to a stop just in front of Admiral Noin. Duo, dressed in black shorts and a black sleeveless T-shirt, his face covered in camouflage, looked up at Aelan, and chirped, "I'm ready to do the dirty work." 

Aelan glanced down at the longhaired pilot, and pursed his lips slightly. "Duo, I am afraid that your current attire would be deemed socially inappropriate for such a distinguished event."

Duo looked back at Noin, and asked softly, "What the hell did he just say?"

Quatre and Trowa grabbed him by both shoulders, and Quatre said assuredly, "We'll get him cleaned up in no time." 

As they drug him back to the side office, Duo screamed, "No one said I had to go in!!!"

Aelan took a deep breath, and shook his head. At that moment, Heero entered the reception area, a large bouquet of roses tucked underneath his right arm. Aelan looked at Heero curiously, and asked, "Are you sure you want to go to this, Heero? Things might get a little… uneasy."

"I received an invitation from Minister Peacecraft herself. It would not be proper for me to turn it down." Heero replied.

Wufei snorted, and replied, "From what I understand, that's never stopped you before."

Heero gave Wufei the death glare that seemed to freeze the young Chinese man like a deer on a four-lane highway. At that moment, Quatre, Trowa, and Duo emerged, Duo looking none too pleased with the way things were going…

__

Several Hours Later; Presidential Estate, New Port City…

The six arrivals each filtered one by one through the security units outside the Presidential Estate. Each one was searched fully in turn. As Heero passed, the guards looked questioningly at the flowers he held.

"A gift for the Foreign Minister." Heero replied. They looked over the roses, and were about to open the bouquet, when Heero added, "Now, how would I explain to the Minister that security destroyed the gift I was about to give her?"

Sheepishly, the security personnel handed the roses back to him, and he nodded to them as he passed into the estate. He quickly joined the others from North Am as they scanned the foyer.

Aelan turned to them, and replied, "I need to attend the State's Address, so I shall have my leave now. The rest of you, don't do anything until I give the word. It is imperative that we do this right the first time."

The Gundam pilots and Noin nodded in agreement. Heero watched Relena walk to the assembly hall in the distance. She turned her head in his direction, and waved as she disappeared.

"So now what?" Duo asked impatiently.

"We wait." Heero answered coldly.

"So, in conclusion, I hope that my term as President of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation will be one of prosperity and peace; a testament to the will and desire of humankind to reach out for a new and greater tomorrow."

At the conclusion of the President's speech, everyone stood up in applause with the exception of two people. Foreign Minister Peacecraft, and Advisor Aelan were not impressed, reaching similar conclusions.

"How can I believe your claims of peace if I know that's what's going to mean your destruction?" Aelan asked himself softly.

"How can a nation that holds weapons in their hearts be truly at peace?" Relena pondered at the same time.

"At this time, I would like to welcome you all the the reception that will be held in the ballroom. Let's enjoy ourselves, and shrug off our duties as leaders as the new century approaches." The president finished, motioning to the doors.

As Relena slowly filed into the line, and outside into the reception area, she couldn't help but feel that something wasn't right. The peace that had looked like was going to settle in was slowly starting to unravel. She could sense it.

Finally into the ballroom, Relena frantically started looking around for him. Did he even come? Did he shrug her off again? As she started to lose hope, she saw him, and the other Gundam pilots as well, all in a circle around Aelan and Noin. 'Did Aelan force them to come?' Relena mused, then decided it didn't matter. Heero was here after all.

As she approached, Aelan looked up, and said in greeting, "Madame Minister! It's nice to see you. Care to join us in whimsical banter?"

Relena blushed, and said, "Actually… I was wondering if I could… borrow Heero for a while. The dance floor is rather inviting."

The catcalls began almost immediately from the other pilots, actually, only Duo. "Heero, the lady killer! They ask HIM to dance… OWWWWW!!! Leggo my hair!!!"

Relena turned in interest to see Trowa pulling rather roughly on Duo's braid. When the sorrowful looking pilot finally released Duo's hair, Duo hissed, "You guys are always picking on me."

"Well, I don't know…" Aelan started to reply.

"I'd be honored." Heero replied, not even looking at Relena. The rest of group, even Relena, was a little taken aback. Relena hadn't expected it to be this easy. The best she had expected was for Heero to reluctantly agree after about a half-hour of badgering.

Heero stood up, and gracefully took Relena's hand as he escorted her out to the dance floor. Once there, he handed her the bouquet, and she blushed again.

As they started to dance, Relena remembered just how good of a dancer Heero was. His natural grace and movement was always apparent, whether he was fighting or dancing, or even walking. Everything he did always seemed so smooth, so fluid, like he wasn't even totally a solid being.

Even though they participated in three dances, it seemed like it was mere seconds to Relena. When he stopped, Relena had to fight the urge to throw her arms around him and cling to his person until he agreed to dance one more time. Just one more time…

Heero looked at her for a few moments. Relena had believed that you could see a person's soul through their eyes; their deepest secrets would be revealed, their true feelings opened like a book. That is, until she met Heero. Everything about him was an enigma, a diary that refused to open even if you had the key. You had to guess what he was feeling based on the situation he was in.

In situations like this, it was always difficult. She couldn't tell whether he was looking at her with admiration or contempt, with love or indifference. These moments were the ones she hated, because they always made her seem so vulnerable. These moments were the ones that could make or crush all her fantasies.

"Is there anywhere that we can talk for a moment? Privately?" Heero asked.

Relena was stunned, and for a moment, forgot just where she was. Did she hear him correctly? She didn't move, unsure how to respond, lost in her own thoughts.

"Is there?" Heero asked again. 

Relena finally nodded, and said, "My office. It's on the third floor."

Aelan watched as the pair walked up the stairs. "This might complicate things…" He muttered. 

Duo leaned over to him, and asked, "Should I make my move?"

"No, let's wait for Heero to leave first. I'd rather not have him be there. There's just no way of knowing how he'll react."

Relena unlocked her office door, and motioned for Heero to enter. She followed him inside, and watched from the doorway as he walked over to the window, and opened it wide, letting the breeze filter into the room.

"I like to do that sometimes. The air feels so fresh and pure." Relena admitted.

Heero stuck his head out the window, and said, "It's amazing how after everything humanity has put this planet through, it has maintained its beauty. This world, and all the multitude of beings that it bore through the ages is in such incredible contrast to the insane destruction that we have put it through."

He pulled away from the window, and led Relena into the center of the office, right in front of her desk. He took the bouquet that he had given Relena back, and opened the paper that held the roses.

Inside was a military grade plastic explosive.

"I have longed to end the insanity, and sometimes, this seems like the only way to do it." Heero dropped the explosive on the ground between them, and pulled out a pen from his inside suit pocket, his thumb poised on what would normally be the button to pop the pen tip, but was obviously the detonator.

From downstairs, the assembly began the countdown to the new year.

"Heero, what are you doing?" Relena asked, but she didn't move.

Heero didn't respond.

"Heero…"

From the ballroom, the countdown became louder.

"FIVE!"

"FOUR!!"

"THREE!!!"

"TWO!!!"

"ONE!!!"

**click**

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!" The crowd shouted in unison as confetti rained from the ceiling. The new president, from his position on the raised stage, looked quite pleased with himself.

Duo became impatient, and then said, "I don't think that they're coming down anytime soon."

Aelan agreed, "Let's get this over with. They're probably in her office."

As the pair climbed the stairs to the upper floors, the entire building was rocked with a near deafening explosion. Small pieces of plaster from the ceiling rained down on the ballroom below.

Aelan suddenly looked grim, and said, "Unless Heero does something first." With that, Aelan and Duo rushed up the stairs.

__

Next Time…

The peace of Earth hits a critical breaking point. Every nation under the banner of the Unified Nation blames the others for the death of Relena Peacecraft. Meanwhile, Duo makes a discovery that triggers another confrontation with Aelan, and the disturbing truth of his rise to prominence.

Coming in Episode 6: Tales of Paradise 


	6. Episode 6: Tales of Paradise

****

Episode 6: Tales of Paradise

In the year After Colony 199, humanity started to begin another chapter in their existence. The development of technology that would allow humans to totally break the bonds of the Earth was supposed to be the first step in a new era.

However, it became apparent that someone did not want this era to arrive. As the year After Colony 200 approaches, an alarming unrest is beginning to show itself, and it bodes ill for the precarious peace brought about by the Earth Sphere United Nation…

"This is an outrage! How dare you blame us for this act of violence?" The Advisor to Eurasia screamed out in disbelief, "Wasn't that pilot from North Am with the foreign minister? If there should be a suspect, it should be North Am!"

The leader of the congressional body for North Am was equally adamant as to his innocence. "All the evidence suggests that the pilot in question was just as much a victim as the foreign minister. Do not use us as a patsy for your acts of aggression!"

"What about the South Pacific? They were never happy with Minister Peacecraft's ideals of pacifism."

This brought upon a slew of protests from the gathered diplomats of the South Pacific. "The Asian region has a larger military presence than anyone. They would have the most to gain from a total collapse of the Earth Sphere!"

The Asian advisor was quick to point out, "We seem to be forgetting that it was a North Am pilot who was seen with the foreign minister last, and it was Advisor Aelan and another of his pilots who was the first on the scene."

Soon, the same question started to form on the lips of the emergency assembly, "Where is Advisor Aelan?"

The leader of North Am's Congressional Body was quick to rise to his defense. "We have appointed him to lead an investigation into this matter personally. If North Am was involved somehow, he'll find it…"

__

North Am; Offices of the Advisor…

The Advisor in question was doing anything but investigating. He already knew who was responsible for the assassination. He just didn't want to believe that everything had gone so terribly wrong.

Noin was with him, trying to be strong, but found it impossible. Over time, she had begun to respect Heero, and she had liked Relena almost since they had met. Now, they were both gone… in a matter of seconds.

Aelan's terminal started to beep, and the advisor sighed, looking over at her

"Admiral, can you leave me be for a few moments? It looks like the Congressional Body's checking in."

Noin nodded, and she tried to smile as she left, but it was an obvious fasod. She closed the door behind her, and Aelan lethargically plugged in his special keyboard…

__

    * I must say… I am impressed. The Tenant Council had shown concern that you were growing too attached to these humans. They were worried that this mission was too tough for a first-timer. I told them not to worry, that you were totally dedicated to our mission. I admire you for taking matters into your own hands.

Aelan began to think of a reply, but decided that he wasn't in the mood, and simply turned off the terminal, throwing the keyboard off to the side of the office, with his head sinking back down onto his desk.

Noin silently strode away from Aelan's office. 'How could this happen? Why did it happen? Right now, the leaders of our world are probably blaming each other, ready to bring on Armageddon over this.'

"Noin!" Duo hissed urgently as he took up pace behind her. She turned her head slightly, but didn't stop walking to her office. "I've got to talk to you. It's very important."

Duo's manner quickly grabbed the attention of the other Gundam pilots, who then formed a small ring around Duo.

"What do you want, Duo? Nobody's really in the mood for your antics right now."

"There's something rotten here, people." Duo began. He pulled out the memo that called out the order for Relena's death. "See this date? This is supposedly when the order to kill Relena was made. Now everything about this document is in perfect working order, except for the date."

"What are you getting at, Duo?" Trowa hissed, the first words he had spoken all day. He had been even more withdrawn than usual, if that was even possible.

"The Congressional Body wasn't even in session when this order was supposedly made." Duo finished.

"If they weren't in session, who made the order?" Quatre asked.

"I think Aelan did it." Duo whispered, "I think he's in on this whole North Am deal. I think he wants to take control as much as the Congressional Body does, and he's using us to do it."

Wufei nodded, "It does seem logical."

Noin shook her head. "He's just as devastated as everyone, there are some things you just can't act out. Besides don't you think that he would know when the Congressional Body is in session?"

Trowa nodded in agreement, "That IS quite an oversight. Why would Aelan make a mistake so obvious after being able to hide his plans for so long?"

At that moment, a flat, familiar voice interrupted, "Because he wanted us to find out."

The group turned around to see Heero and Relena standing side by side, looking slightly disheveled from what must have been quite a trip.

"HEERO!" Duo shouted in glee, flinging himself around the Wing Zero pilot, "I knew you couldn't go through with it!"

Grimacing, Heero peeled Duo off him, and continued, "It is evident that Aelan is taking orders from someone other than the Congressional Body, orders that he is becoming increasingly unwilling to carry out."

"Who would be giving orders to Aelan?" Noin asked.

Heero pointed at the door to Aelan's office, and replied, "That's what we are going to discover."

The assembled group filtered into Aelan's office, one by one. At first he looked merely curious, but once Heero and Relena entered, the relief was incredibly obvious, the sorrow almost appearing to melt off his face.

"Heero, don't you ever pull a stunt like that again…" Aelan said softly.

"You're fortunate that I realized that the memo was a fake. I just might have gone through with it all had I thought it was real." Heero retorted. Relena made a concerned glare at Heero, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Yeah, what's the deal?" Duo demanded, "Why make up all of this? If the Congressional Body isn't in on it, who is?"

Aelan took a deep breath, then finally replied, "A lot of what I'm about to say might not make much sense. It might seem bizarre, and at first you might not believe it." He pointed over to the east wall, and asked, "Trowa, can you get that keyboard for me?"

Trowa complied, picking up the object. As he looked it over, his eyebrows furrowed, and he asked, "What on earth is on this thing? I've never seen characters like these…"

"That's the first thing that I want to explain." Aelan responded, taking the keyboard from Trowa, and plugging it into the terminal. "You should know that I am not human."

Aelan looked up after that profound statement. He had been expecting a momentary state of panic and disbelief. Instead, he noticed an eerie silence, and vacant stares.

"Come again?" Noin asked.

"I'm not human. I was not born on Earth, or on its colonies."

"I thought that was what he said." Duo commented, "I was thinking for a second that I was hearing things."

"Oddly enough, that already seems to explain a lot." Relena added.

Aelan decided to continue, and he tapped a few command functions on his keyboard. At that instant, his office seemed to transform into a serene grassy plain, with a city a few kilometers away on the horizon.

"This is my home. My kind calls it Zenala. The closest human translation is 'Eden', a perfect paradise. We are located near the center of the galaxy, in one of the oldest star systems. We are an incredibly advanced race, and our recorded history of the galaxy spans well over 300,000 of your earth years."

"Our society is governed by a select group of people from different fields, called tenants. Most of the tenants serve in the Tenant Council, while others, like me, reach out to other planets and races. Biologically, we are rather similar to humans, so it was very easy for me to blend into your society. For other races, cosmetic and even genetic alterations are necessary."

"Why exactly are you here?" Noin asked, "What mission are you here to perform?"

"I was here to observe the potential threat of Earth to Eden. Eden itself has no military capability. At the beginning of our recorded history was a bloody conflict that nearly destroyed our world. Since then, we abolished all weapons, and any type of violent action is punished severely."

Aelan paused for a moment, letting all that information set in. "However, such a pacifist ideal created an entirely new problem for us; now that we have solved our violence within, what about violence from outside? At the time, there were several other races who were rapidly gaining technical knowledge, many of them were quite militant in nature, and would not hesitate to put Eden under their iron fists."

"In response, we began this current project, a series of missions that continues on to this day. We observe any race that has begun to gain technological and military strength. If the Tenant Council rules that the race has become too dangerous, we… cause the race to destroy itself."

"Like is beginning to happen here." Noin added.

"Right." Aelan affirmed, "The key to Earth and humanity in this case was Fold Technology. Your race has amassed incredible military strength, unlike anything Eden has ever seen before, but you never had the means to apply that strength anywhere. You were limited to your own little corner of the galaxy, and that suited Eden fine."

"But once the Fold Technology became available, Eden decided to pull the plug on humanity." Heero finished.

"Right again. However, I must admit that I am greatly to blame for all of this. When my colleague and I were approaching Earth, our ship was damaged. We crashed in the Mexican highlands. The two of us were certain that your race couldn't utilize the wreckage, but we underestimated you. Once I learned that a Fold Generator was being built, I did what I could to stop it."

"So you DID sabotage the Fold Generator at L1!" Quatre exclaimed.

"Yes, that was me." Aelan admitted, "Since my field of practice before I became a Tenant was technological engineering, it wasn't hard for me to pull it off. I also tried to destroy the generator in Mexico, but I was informed that Noin and Quatre had discovered that I did the deed in L1, so I had to do a little spin control. I was hoping to get another shot at the generators before the Tenant Council made their decision, but I was too late."

"I knew that if the Fold Technology became active, that the Tenant Council was going to end it all. I didn't want humanity to pay for my mistake. After the decision came, I was hoping to convince humanity to disassemble them themselves. I planned to do that by making myself out to be some great hero by discovering Relena alive. Needless to say when I thought that Heero killed her, I suffered double the pain. First, I had thought that I had lost my last chance to save the people of Earth from my error, and I had lost someone I had come to respect."

Finally, Aelan stood straight up, and looked straight at Heero. "Now, I'm done. Heero, you have your reason. Take that pistol of yours that you have hidden somewhere, and kill me."

Trowa and Duo had forgotten the promise Aelan had made to Heero. The fact that Aelan hadn't spoke volumes as to his honesty.

Heero shook his head. "I can't do that." 

Heero was full of surprises these last few days; now it was Aelan's turn to stare vacantly. "Pardon?"

"You had said that I could kill you if you didn't have the best interest of North Am and the Earth Sphere United Nation at heart. However, it appears that you have been trying as hard as you can to save us from ourselves."

Duo agreed, saying, "Besides, we need you to finish what you started. There's still a chance we can pull this out."

Quatre stepped in, "I agree. I can understand your desire to keep this secret. I don't think most of humanity would be willing to accept this. But without you, it's over."

Wufei nodded, adding, "To be willing to repair the mistakes you have made in the past is honorable, and to be willing to pay the ultimate consequence for those mistakes is even more so."

Noin finished, "I think what they're trying to say is 'We forgive you'."

Aelan was almost shocked, "How can you be so sure of me? This could all be another ruse."

Relena shook her head, "If your goal was to destroy us, then you've already done what you need to do. You could just leave now, and we'd take ourselves to the brink of extinction. If there is one thing that we don't need much help with, it's killing ourselves."

The holographic image of Eden dropped away, and Aelan nodded, "Very well. If that's what you want. First off, we need to relay the message that Relena is in perfectly good health. Why don't you all of you prepare to escort Relena back to New Port City, while I relay the news? Admiral, I might need you here to explain our Heero's BRAVE actions in saving Minister Peacecraft from certain death."

"Yes, Advisor." Noin replied as the team broke off to do their duties.

Aelan prepared to connect to the President's office, and he asked Noin, "Why do I feel that there is another reason that they've decided to trust me again?"

"They remember what it was like to defend their home by whatever means necessary. If I lived on a world like the one that I saw in that hologram, I'd probably be willing to obliterate anything that threatened it as well."

Relena's homecoming was a suprisingly quiet affair. She knew that even though the various regions of Earth now knew she was alive and well, there was still a lot of bad blood that must have surfaced in her absence.

However, there was one thing she needed to do first.

Relena stopped at Theresa's desk, and asked, "Get a hold of the Space Colony Advisor for me. I'll take it in my office."

"Certainly, Madame."

Once in her office, the face of Advisor Kiron was waiting for her on her terminal, "Let me offer my gladness upon learning that the rumors of your demise was greatly exaggerated."

"Shut up, Kiron. I know the whole deal, now." Relena snapped.

The Colony Advisor seemed confused for a minute, then he sighed, "I take it Aelan told you about me."

"No, he didn't. I think he intentionally kept your name out of the discussion. However, with all that has happened, it was only obvious that you were the 'colleague' he mentioned."

"Yes, I see that. I take it Aelan is still trying to salvage the situation here on Earth, despite the ruling I received. He has a lot more bravery than I do."

"You could say that." Relena replied, "On both counts."

"So, what do you want with me? To expose me?"

"What good would that do? I'm not totally convinced that you want to destroy us, either."

The Advisor smirked, and replied, "I've done what I'm doing here countless times. I never WANT to see a race destroy themselves, but I do what I am told."

"That's good, because I want you to help save us."

"What is it that you want me to do? If it's in my power and in the best interests for both of our races, I'll see what I can do."

"I want the means to talk with your Tenant Council."

Kiron balked for a moment, "That's… not the easiest thing you could have asked from me, but… I suppose I can do it. I will send you the spatial coordinates for Eden, and I will clear you to meet the Tenant Council. I just hope that they don't have my head for this."

"I wish to warn you however," Kiron noted as she was about to thank him, "The Tenant Council might not be the most receptive group. You might have to be patient with them."

"I've dealt with belligerent people before. I'm sure I can deal with belligerent aliens." Relena answered confidently.

"Remember, Minister Peacecraft, on Eden, YOU will be the alien." Kiron added, as he cut the communication.

__

Amore's Facility

"Are you sure this is where you need to go?" Amore asked as she watched Heero program the coordinates of her father's jump.

"The coordinates from which these were taken from came from Aelan's ship. It is only logical to assume that these are the coordinates to Eden."

"And what do you plan to do on Eden?" A voice asked sweetly.

The pair turned around, and Heero stated, "Relena. I suppose I want to see this world of total peace for myself."

"Well, then you might as well take me along. I have a meeting with their Tenant Council, and it makes no sense for us to make two different trips."

"How did you manage that? Did you pester Aelan for the opportunity?"

"No. I didn't want to make things more difficult for him. I pestered Kiron."

Amore then cut in, "Well, regardless of who is going where, I suggest you decide soon. I'm already powering up this beast, and from what I remember, it couldn't hold the wormhole together for very long."

__

Next Time…

Heero and Relena do indeed meet with the governing body of Eden, but with less than favorable results. Meanwhile, Kiron reveals his guilt in sending the two to Eden. As Heero and Relena find themselves trapped in a strange, underground world, Aelan begins planning a daring rescue.

Continued in Episode 7: Journey to Hell


	7. Episode 7: Journey to Hell

****

Episode 7: Journey to Hell

In the year After Colony 200, humanity's age long curiosity to discover life beyond the Earth was answered. Aelan Marcus and Kiron Gorrs came from the distant planet of Eden to observe humanity, and with the orders to destroy humans if they became a threat.

Their mission was to undertake several unexpected turns, as the people of Earth proved to be more cunning and resourceful than even the wisest of Eden had imagined. Now the battle to save humanity begins in earnest, a battle that could alter the course of the galaxy itself… 

The connection was rather smooth, despite Amore's worries that the fold would be unstable. As Heero and Relena looked around the destination point, they were awestruck by the incredible display before them.

The small receiving area they were in was a blur of lights and activity. They stepped off the raised platform, and walked to what they assumed was the door, it slid aside silently, and a sequence of lights emerged, forming a lighted path to their right.

With a shrug, Relena asked, "Shall we?"

They slowly followed the lighted path through the portal bay, and suddenly an automated voice replied in an incomprehensible tongue. The seeming gibberish continued for a few more seconds, then when it fell silent, the path of lights began again. This time it shot off to their left, lighting a path in the increasing darkness.

"What's going on here?" Relena asked as the hallways grew darker. Soon, only the light from the path below was illuminating their surroundings. They continued to proceed down the path, and Relena started to become anxious.

"There's something not right about this." Relena said softly, but she couldn't tell if Heero had even heard her. Finally, the lights ended, and from there, Heero and Relena were left in darkness. That is, until the entire chamber was bathed in a wash of bright light.

Heero and Relena covered their eyes for a moment while they adjusted to the sudden change in brightness. When they finally were able to see clearly again, they found themselves in the middle of a large chamber, with an assembly of human-like beings sitting in a tiered balcony above them.

They were right in the middle of the Tenant Council of Eden.

One of them spoke, but neither Heero or Relena could determine just which one was speaking. "Welcome humans. It is not often that we agree to meet with those who could cause us harm."

Relena took a deep breath, and said, "I am Relena Peacecraft…"

"We know who you are." The voice interrupted, "Just as you know who we are. We want to know why you are here."

When Heero didn't say anything, Relena said, "We are here to extend a promise of peace to Eden."

There was silence for a second, then the voice answered, "How can you extend peace when you do not even know the the meaning of such a word?"

"How can you say that?" Relena demanded, "I and many of my kind have striven…"

"LIES! How can we expect humans to respect the people of Eden when you can't even respect yourselves? Your own companion is one of the most brutal murders of your kind, and yet you bring him here to display your message of peace?"

At that, a holographic image appeared at the center of the chamber. It displayed quite clearly the image of Wing Zero engaged in combat, at times obliterating up to 30 enemy suits with one blast. That began a seemingly endless parade of Heero's battles, in his suit and outside.

"This man has even tried to kill you, Relena Peacecraft. Can you honestly say you trust him?"

That question caused Relena to lose herself in her thoughts…

In her mind, she was back in her office just after the state's address, as she watched Heero click the detonator.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!" The crowd in the ballroom below shouted.

When nothing happened, she realized that she had closed her eyes in anticipation of her own death. Opening them, she saw Heero grab her hand, and lead her to the open window.

"What is going on, Heero, what are you doing?" Relena asked, trying to pull away, "That's a three floor drop! What is going on here?"

Heero looked right back at her impatiently, and said, "We don't have much time before that bomb goes off for real. For now, can you just trust me on this one?"

Relena didn't have to think for very long before replying…

"Yes." Relena answered in her thoughts and in reality. She stared at the gathered Tenants of Eden, and continued, "Yes, I trust Heero, even with my life. You have only seen part of the picture when you see his battles."

"We see all we need to see." The voice from the Tenant Council retorted, "We see a destroyer. Whether in defense or not, he is a destroyer none the less. With that in mind, Earth is just as much of a threat to Eden as we had thought."

When Heero began to speak, even Relena was a little taken off guard. After all, he hadn't said a word, or even acted in such a way as to suggest he even knew what was going on, since the pair had arrived on Eden.

"Yet, you send your tenants on missions of destruction on a regular basis. If I am to be a judge as to the destructive nature of humanity, then the tenants you send to destroy entire civilizations should be a judge to the destructive nature of Eden." Heero replied, "You are a race that is no better than humanity, you merely hide your destructive nature under the guise of defense of your world. If defense or attack really means no difference, you should realize the error of your position."

"HOW DARE YOU?" The voice of the Tenants screamed, "YOU WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE ARE NO BETTER THAN YOU… HUMANS?"

"I do more than suggest." Heero answered, "Just the few minutes I have spent listening to your self-righteous proclamations have PROVEN what I merely thought to be true."

"SUCH IMPERTINENCE!" The voice seethed, "But what is to be expected of such an inferior and barbaric race?"

"It is time for judgement to be passed." The voice of the Tenants announced, "Your presence here has merely affirmed what we have feared. Humanity has become a threat that must be eliminated for the sake of Eden and the galaxy. You shall be sent to Hell as an example of those who try to invade Eden."

Relena couldn't believe her ears. "You had already made your decision before we had even come here! How can you call yourselves enlightened?"

Any further comments however, were cut short by a sudden electric shock that rushed through her body. She collapsed to the floor in pain, and the sound of Heero dropping to the ground next to her was the last thing she heard before darkness set in once again…

__

Meanwhile, back at North Am…

Admiral Noin stepped into Aelan's office, and informed, "I'm sorry, but there is still no word from Heero or Relena. According to Relena's secretary, she had asked for a communication with Advisor Kiron, then left soon after. As for Heero… no one has any idea where he is."

"Thank you, Lucrezia." Aelan nodded, then asked, "Is it all right if I call you that?"

"Normally, I prefer people to call me Noin, but since I get away with calling you by your first name, I suppose it's only fair."

"Thank you." Aelan answered, "Even though I tried to avoid it, I have gotten on a very personal level with the people here. It was very… awkward to continue under such false pretenses."

Duo, meanwhile, sat in front of his computer terminal, checking over the details of Heero's and Relena's disappearance. True, everyone else had been over it about a hundred times (he had not really counted), but he couldn't think of anything better to do.

He felt a tap on his shoulder, and heard Hilde ask, "Gee, what does a girl have to do to get a guy's attention?"

Duo jumped out of his chair in pleasant surprise. For a few blissful moments, he forgot all about Heero and Relena. He quickly kissed her on the lips, then drew her into a tight embrace. "What are you doing here, babe?" He asked happily, "Not that I'm complaining. I've always wanted you to drop by."

Hilde smiled wryly, then pushed herself away, "For Christ's sake, Duo, I'm in uniform. Such displays are frowned upon."

"Well then, why don't you and I go somewhere private, and you can…"

Hilde put up her finger, derailing that train of thought quickly, "Don't even go there, Duo. I only tagged along with Advisor Kiron for this little trip so I could visit, then I'm going right back up again. We don't have the time to fool around…"

With a mischievous smile, she added, "…This time."

"Wait a minute. Advisor Kiron's here? Why?" Duo asked.

Hilde shrugged, "I don't know. I just heard he was heading to North Am, and I asked to tag along."

"So, what news is so important that you had to come here in person, Kiron?" Aelan asked. Noin herself was slightly confused as to why Kiron would take an emergency trip to North Am.

"I heard that you were looking for Heero Yuy and Minister Peacecraft." Kiron said, "I think I might know where they went."

"I was about to ask you about that when I learned you had left to come here." Aelan admitted, "Did Relena mention anything to you about where she was going?"

"Actually, she demanded that I give her access to the Tenant Council." Kiron answered, "I was such a fool. What was I thinking?"

"You gave her access?" Aelan gasped, "You realize what's going to happen to them, right?"

"Yes. They'll be sent to Hell."

Noin interceded, asking, "Hell? I take it means something other than what I know it means."

"Actually, there's not much difference." Aelan explained, "It's a natural prison beneath the surface of Eden. It's where all who oppose the ideals of Eden go, along with any hapless soul to happens upon my homeworld."

"The reason I'm here is to ask for your help." Kiron replied, "I've now made two critical errors on this mission to Earth. The Tenant Council probably already discovered that I gave Relena access to Eden, and they'll probably send someone to… take care of my mistakes."

"You want me to pull them out of Hell." Aelan finished, "It'll be difficult, but you are right. The Tenant Council will be on to you, and I can't let Heero and Relena suffer in that awful prison."

"You'll really do it?" Kiron asked, the relief washing over him, "Great."

Aelan nodded, and said, "I suggest you make yourself scarce, Kiron. I'll take care of Heero's and Relena's dilemma. Hopefully, you won't have to stay in hiding for long. I hope that the Tenant Council will be able to accept Earth and humans eventually. Until then, you better stay alive, my friend."

As Kiron left the office, he replied, "I will…"

__

Somewhere unknown…

Heero couldn't see a thing. He opened his eyes, but that didn't help at all.

He was surrounded by total darkness.

Lifting himself up so that he was on his hands and knees, he tried to use his other senses to gain some sort of bearing as to where he was. His hands felt damp earth; then they touched something hard. At first he thought it was a rock, but it was too smooth. As his hand moved across the long protrusion from the smooth bump, it became painfully obvious.

It was a bone.

Suddenly, he was afraid for Relena. Jumping to his feet, he shouted out her name, but heard no response. Suddenly desperate, he called out for her again, but there was still no response. His mind raced in terror.

'What happened to Relena? What if she's… no, she can't be dead… she can't be…"

His mind drifted back to a time before, and a person that he almost didn't recognize as himself…

"I know all about you, Heero." Relena stated simply as they danced. Heero really wasn't too concerned about this event. As a matter of fact, he wasn't even fully sure why he had come here in the first place. Come tomorrow, he would be gone, leaving nothing but footprints.

Relena spoke again, asking, "Are you still going to kill me?"

Heero didn't take long to simply reply, "Yeah."

Then, it was four years later. Heero sat down next to Relena at the campfire he had built. They had managed to put a lot of distance between the Presidential Estate and themselves, which meant that they could rest for at least a while.

"Why did you do this, Heero? Aren't you ever going to kill me like you said you would?" Relena asked.

This time, his reply was not nearly so quick.

"No…" Heero answered his own thoughts. "RELENA! WHERE ARE YOU?"

When silence answered him again, Heero was overwhelmed with an emotion he had not felt for a long time, total, inconsolable sorrow. He had only felt it once before, when a little girl happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

This time was worse. The girl before had been a stranger, a passing kindness that Heero had not thought much of at the time. This… was someone close to him, as much as he had tried to distance himself. She had gotten through the armor, and now she was gone.

"Relena…" Heero muttered, and for the first time that he can remember, he cried. "This can't be happening… THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!"

Then, he heard a soft moan. "Heero… do you have to be so loud? My head is pounding."

Heero quickly snapped out of his grief, and quickly located the location of the sound. She had been out cold not even a few feet from him. Gathering his rampant emotions, he quickly regained control of himself.

He helped Relena to her feet, just as she moaned, "Heero? Why can't I see anything?"

"I'm not totally sure. It's probably that we're in a place that there is no light coming in from anywhere." He replied.

"I'm scared…" Relena said feebly.

Heero had to resist the urge to hold her, and soothe her fears away, knowing now wasn't the time. He had to figure out where they were, and how to get out.

"Don't be frightened, Relena. So far, there doesn't appear to be anything that can harm us." Heero tried to soothe her.

It didn't seem to work. "SO FAR?" Relena griped, "Gee, thanks for settling that little uneasiness."

From the distance, Heero suddenly heard voices, and it was obvious that Relena did too.

"Well… so much for 'so far'…" She said softly.

As the voices came closer, Heero recognized the speech as similar to the message that he had heard when he and Relena had arrived on Eden. Could these be natives of the planet? If so, what were they doing here?

The voices surrounded Heero and Relena, and it appeared that the other residents of this place were as curious to Heero and Relena as the pair was to them. A sudden, eerie silence was followed by what sounded like a question. Heero shook his head, and answered, "I don't understand you."

Another moment of silence, then it was followed by a cacophony of voices, that started to echo each other. As the tempo and volume increased, their tone suggested some very violent feelings.

Suddenly, Relena screamed, "LET GO OF ME!"

Heero merely reacted, turning Relena around to the other side of him, and swinging out with his left foot blindly. He felt his kick deliver a grazing blow to someone, and the target suddenly screamed out in rage. 

Just as Heero was certain that the mob was going to attack, he felt the ground beneath him and Relena give away, and they plunged deeper into the unknown.

__

Next Time…

_Heero and Relena find themselves in a totally different part of Hell, with a person that Heero had heard of before. As Heero and Relena are lead on a tour of the terrible place they are trapped in, Aelan arrives on the rescue._

However, Aelan's actions cause an uproar that leads to the Tenant Council to order HIS extermination.

Coming in Episode 8: The True Traitor Revealed


	8. Episode 8: The True Traitor Revealed

****

Episode 8: The True Traitor Revealed

In the year After Colony 200, humanity's age long curiosity to discover life beyond the Earth was answered. Aelan Marcus and Kiron Gorrs came from the distant planet of Eden to observe humanity, and with the orders to destroy humans if they became a threat.

Their mission was to undertake several unexpected turns, as the people of Earth proved to be more cunning and resourceful than even the wisest of Eden had imagined. Now the battle to save humanity begins in earnest, a battle that could alter the course of the galaxy itself… 

Heero slid down a short tunnel, with Relena hot on his heels. They then felt air as if they had emerged into another large area. From there, it was a short drop to the soft dirt below. The damp ground served to cushion the fall slightly for both of them. From there, he felt a pair of hands help him to his feet. Relena quickly found her way to Heero's side, and the hands started to push them in a direction through the earthly dungeon.

"Hey, what's going on? Who are you, and why are you pushing us?" Relena demanded.

All of a sudden, the hands stopped. "You… know Earth language?" A voice asked softly, "Are you two from Earth?"

Relena was definitely shocked, "I am Relena Peacecraft, from the Earth Sphere Unified Nation."

"You can call me Heero Yuy." Heero didn't seem surprised, "I take it you are Julio Doran."

"How… did you…"

"How do you think we got here? We came via the same Fold generator that you used. Your daughter is STILL waiting for you."

"Amore?" Julio gasped, "She brought you here?"

"I'm assuming that she was hoping that we'd find you and bring you home while we were visiting the Tenant Council."

Julio laughed in the darkness, but it wasn't a laugh that bode cheer, "Well, you aren't getting out of here. The Edenites call this place, 'Hell'. The only way in is through a Quantum Fold, and since there aren't any generators here, it's obvious that there isn't any way out."

"This is just dirt. Wouldn't it feasible to dig?"

"The Edenites surrounded this cavern with a mesh of Durium. There isn't any way through it."

"Durium?" Heero asked. He had heard of that metal, but its hardness made it impossible to forge. "That stuff is 20 times harder than even Gundanium. It can't even be forged in the heat of the Sun. How did the Edenites manage to do it?"

"I don't know." Julio admitted, "There is so much I could learn from the Edenites, but they don't appear to be willing to share their knowledge."

From above, they heard the sounds of anger. Julio quickly starting pushing them again. "Hurry, it looks like the natives have found my little trapdoor. We have to get out of here quickly."

"Do you even know where we are going?" Relena asked, unsure.

"I've walked these catacombs for 15 years. I've figured out where everything is by now."

It didn't look any different (not that anything looked different in Hell), but when Julio finally stopped guiding them through the darkness, it was obvious he thought they were safe.

"Perhaps I should explain what goes on down here." Julio said, "There are two types of people in Hell. There are the native Edenites, and then there are the outsiders. The Edenites are usually here because they challenged the desires of Eden. They are either violent offenders, or political prisoners."

"Then there are people like us." Julio continued, "Through one reason or another, we found our ways to Eden, and we are banished here for the good of Eden and the galaxy."

"Yeah, we've heard that line." Relena answered, almost seething.

"This is a very bleak place. Food is scarce, water even scarcer, and light is valued as much as the air we all breathe. Some of these people were born in this hole, and have never seen the light of their sun. The people of Eden trapped down here blame the people like us. Had people like us never visited Eden, they wouldn't be here, they claim."

"How do you know so much about the Edenites? Can you understand their language?"

Julio chuckled again, and answered, "Even the average Edenite is frighteningly intelligent. The few Edenites that are on our side of Hell learned the various languages of the prisoners here in a few days after arrival."

"Wow." Relena asked, just before a grumbling sound followed her words. Sheepishly, Relena added, "I guess I'm kinda hungry."

Julio seemed to instantly cheer, and said, "I can handle that! Take hold, and follow me."

Once again, the trio was on the move. When Julio stopped again, he said, "Here we are. I can't say that we have much to eat, but Talor, here is one of the finest gatherers down here. He is also one of the few native Edenites on this side of Hell."

"I see we have some new visitors." Talor stated with a light regal tone, "Well, what can I do for you?"

"The young lady, Relena, here is a little hungry. What do we have for her?"

"A young lady, huh? There aren't many of those down here. I have a nice selection of grubs that were unfortunate enough to crawl into my grasp." The Edenite said happily, "They appear to be quite large, and supply much needed nutrients."

Relena grabbed Heero's arm, and whispered to him, "Is he serious?"

"Julio said that food was scarce." Heero whispered back, "What did you expect?"

Julio seemed to catch onto Relena's disapproval, and asked, "Anything else?"

Talor seemed to sigh, then replied, "I have a few earthworms that I was saving for a special occasion, but I understand how the poor girl must feel. There yours if you want them, miss."

"Earthworms?" Relena moaned, "I don't think I'm that hungry."

Talor didn't seem insulted. He must have felt the same way when he had first appeared in this place. When he replied, it seemed more of a promise than a statement, "Don't worry… soon you will be."

Julio pulled the pair away from the gatherer, and apologized, "I am sorry about that. I think that you need some time to adjust, after all, you might be here a while."

At that moment, Relena tripped over a person. "I'm so sorry. Are you alright?" When the person didn't respond, Relena reached out to the person, and went right through the person's decaying face.

Relena screamed, and Heero quickly rushed to her side, putting his arms around her. "That person's dead! He's dead, Heero!" Relena sobbed, burying her head into his shoulder.

Julio sighed sadly, "When people die here, we sometimes don't know it for a long time. Thank you, Relena, I'll find someone to clean it up. I know it sounds cold of me, but this happens on quite a routine basis."

An hour later, Julio finally got to what he considered the most important part of the tour. "Remember when I said that light is as valuable to the people of Hell as the air they breathe?" He asked.

"Yeah." Heero replied.

"I'm about to show you my light. Most of the people on this side of Hell don't even come near this place, it shows them what they've become, and reminds them of what they once were. The other denizens however, would kill every person here to get this."

It was obvious there had been a wall in the way, for when Julio turned, leading Heero and Relena with him, there was suddenly a dim yellow light bathing a large tunnel ahead of them. For the first time, they saw Julio Doran in the dim light.

Relena gasped at the sight. He looked emancipated, half dead, with a yellowish puss underneath his eyes. They realized that he quivered involuntarily, most likely from his body trying to generate as much heat as it could. His face looked like it was about to cave in, his cheeks drawn, and his lips a very unhealthy shade of bluish-red.

There wasn't an inch of fat on his body, and there were parts of skin that hung from his frame, the bone almost visible underneath. His ragged clothes, that probably fit at one time, hung from his frame, his tattered shorts held to his hips by a thin, sharpened bone stuck through the waistline.

"Can you believe that I am considered healthy?" Julio asked, his voice cheery, but his eyes were full of pain. "Come this way."

The three walked through the tunnel, and into a small cave, where in the center was a small fire. "I used all sorts of things to start this fire, and at one time it burned brightly. It represents my hope, and as time passes, my hope, along with this flame, continues to die."

Julio took a seat, and motioned for Relena and Heero to do so as well. When they sat, Julio continued, "Every waking hour here is a fight against despair. The friends you make here could very well be gone the next day. You could wake up, and he or she would be gone. The smell of death is only covered by the smell of terror and of despair."

Julio looked at him, his eyes pleading for something, anything that could take his mind off of where he was, "There were times where I wanted to let go of all my feelings, to turn into one of those crazed people on the other side of Hell. This place rapidly tears any sense of compassion and hope from you. But every time I am tempted to abandon my light, I am always brought back."

Even though he couldn't be much older than 50 years, Julio moved like was closer to 100, reaching into his pocket, and pulling out a faded pink ribbon. His fingers moved, shaking across the silk.

"My Amore gave this to me when I left Earth to test the Quantum Fold generator. I promised that I would come back to her, and she gave me this ribbon as a symbol of my promise. This is the one thing that keeps my hope, my light, burning."

Julio then stood, saying, "You both must be tired. You can rest here if you want, I have some things of my own to do."

"How could a race do this to people?" Relena asked Heero.

"You'd be amazed what people are willing to do when they are filled with a self-righteous zeal." Heero replied, "It is no different here than on Earth."

Relena slid over right next to Heero, and leaned her head against his shoulder. She decided to change the subject, and asked, "Why do you put up with me? Why did you let me live all those times?"

Heero thought about the reasons…

"We've got to get moving." Heero said, almost in command. He stomped the small campfire out. "We need to use the cover of darkness to take a vessel across the Atlantic. We can't risk being seen yet."

Relena nodded, and the pair quickly broke camp, but it was obvious that Relena had one question that was nagging her.

"Heero, why did you save me?" Relena asked, her voice seemed hopeful, as if she was waiting for an answer beyond what Heero was willing to give.

Heero stopped walking, dropping his head slightly, "If you were to die, it would most likely lead to another war that I am not very keen on fighting." He lied. Letting it stay at that, Heero started walking again, not letting himself admit the truth, still trying to keep his emotional armor intact…

'Not this time.' Heero said to himself. This time, he was going to be totally honest to Relena, and to himself.

He took Relena's hand in his hand, and looked into her dirt-streaked face. "I was once like this. I was once trapped in Hell. I had eyes, but I couldn't see anything. I stumbled through life, trying to find some purpose, some reason to exist."

He stared into his eyes, eyes that he could get lost in if he wasn't careful. "When I met you, I could tell the difference. I could start to see again, even though I didn't want to admit it. You gave me a reason to live, even all that long ago. Even when I was too stubborn to realize what you had given me, it was there. After meeting you, I was finally alive."

"Heero…" Relena gasped, but he quickly silenced any talk.

The kiss was short and innocent, but it carried more passion than even the most lustful meeting of mouths. Relena didn't want this moment to end. During the kiss, she totally forgot where she was. Even the terrors and darkness of Hell was no match for the emotions she felt at that moment.

When he pulled his mouth away, Relena settled her head into his chest, and breathed out heavily, snuggling close to his body. She then sighed, and said, "Thank you, Heero… for everything." A few minutes later, she fell asleep.

Tenderly, Heero put his arms around her in a gentle embrace. He looked up, as if his eyes could burn through the earth above. 'If there is a God anywhere, I want to thank him.' Heero said in his mind, then he joined Relena in slumber, confident in his knowledge that despite all the evil and darkness that surrounded them, one thing was completely right…

Heero felt a hand shaking him, and Aelan's voice calling out to him. At first he thought it was a dream, but when the hand slapped him, Heero was brought back to the conscious world.

Sure enough, Aelan was bent over in front of him, "Heero, you are a hard man to find, you know that? I had hack into Eden's sensor array all the way from Earth to find you, then generate a fold here. Come on, it is time you two went home."

Relena slowly awoke, and she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. When she opened them again, she nearly screamed out in glee. "Aelan! How did you get here?"

"Kiron's generated a fold right outside this cave. We have to get going. A Terran fold isn't nearly as reliable as an Edenite one." Aelan insisted, dragging the pair to their feet. As he started to guide them outside, Relena suddenly stiffened.

"Julio! Aelan, Julio Doran is here somewhere! We have to find him!"

Aelan shook his head. "Maybe you didn't understand me. The fold isn't going to stay intact very long. We have to get out now. Don't worry, I will do everything I can to insure that he doesn't have to stay in this pit much longer."

Despite that, both Heero and Relena continued to protest, and Aelan had to nearly force them outside, and into the fold. Finally, Aelan jumped in himself, and the trip to Earth began.

The sudden surge and quelling of the gravity well from the fold caused an equally sudden eddy of movement in the normally stagnant air of Hell. The gust blew through the nearby area, and Julio's small fire died out…

__

L1 Colony, Science Bay…

Heero and Relena emerged into the science bay of L1 colony, and they needed a few moments to get used to the sudden surge of light after nearly a day and a half in total darkness.

When their eyes finally adapted, they saw Aelan shake Kiron's hand.

"Thank you, my friend." Aelan said, "We'll show ourselves back to Earth. You need to get back under cover."

"I understand." Kiron replied, "I'm just glad I could be of help. If you need anything else from me, let me know."

"I will." Aelan promised. He escorted Heero and Relena out of the science bay. Checking to make sure that they were gone, Kiron made his way to his office. Plugging in his Edenite keyboard to his terminal, he waited a few minutes for a connection to be made.

__

    * What do you have to report, Tenant Kiron?
****

    * I am deeply grieved to admit that you might be right. Tenant Aelan used a Fold Generator to free the two prisoners from Earth. He did it right under my nose.

    * First he gives those humans access to the Hall of the Tenant Council, now he frees them from their punishment. These actions cannot be tolerated, even from a Tenant. Aelan has jeopardized the safety of his home. His is nothing more than a traitor in our eyes.
****

    * May I make a request, my brethren?

    * Proceed, Tenant Kiron.
****

    * I was the one who trusted Aelan. I was also the one who suggested he come with me to Earth. I feel responsible for this. Allow me to correct my mistakes.

    * Very well, Tenant Kiron. We will trust the duty of exterminating Aelan to you. Use whatever means you deem necessary.
****

    * Thank you, my brethren.

Kiron terminated the connected then leaned back in his chair. With a satisfied smile, Kiron muttered, "Perfect. Everything is going exactly as I planned…"

__

Next Time…

_Kiron's plan moves into full swing, as he prepares to remove everything that could challenge his ambitious designs. Enlisting the help of an unexpected source, Kiron strikes out at Aelan, then at his own home of Eden._

Coming in Episode 9: To be as Gods


	9. Episode 9: To be as Gods

****

Episode 9: To be as Gods

In the year After Colony 200, humanity's age long curiosity to discover life beyond the Earth was answered. Aelan Marcus and Kiron Gorrs came from the distant planet of Eden to observe humanity, and with the orders to destroy humans if they became a threat.

Their mission was to undertake several unexpected turns, as the people of Earth proved to be more cunning and resourceful than even the wisest of Eden had imagined. Now the battle to save humanity begins in earnest, a battle that could alter the course of the galaxy itself… 

"Are you sure you don't want the Virgo MD's?" Miliardo Peacecraft asked.

Advisor Kiron shook his head, "At our final destination, one LEO would be enough to suffice. For the missions here on Earth, we'll need them, but afterwards, they can be scrap for all I care. As a matter of fact, once on Eden, we will be able to completely abandon the forces we have acquired."

"The Mobile Dolls do have some incredible advantages to manned suits. I think it is foolhardy to believe that they will not be of use, especially since it's highly likely to anticipate a counterattack if your preemptive strike is not effective."

Kiron stared at the human, marveling at how stupid they could be sometimes. "If our plan to exterminate Aelan fails, then the Mobile Dolls are definitely out of the question."

"What do you mean?" Miliardo queried.

"Aelan was one the finest tech engineers in all of Eden before he was promoted to a Tenant. If you don't think that given five minutes, he could come up with 30 ways to either disable or even use the Mobile Dolls against us, YOU are the fool."

"I understand. It is easy to forget that on an intelligence standpoint, Edenites far outweigh humankind."

"Considering all the playing down that Aelan and I used, I suppose that it IS easy to forget. Try not to forget again."

__

North Am, Advisor Offices

"Heero!" Duo shouted out as Heero and Relena stepped inside Aelan's Advisor Offices. "What were you two up to on Eden? Come on, the two of you, alone, in the dark… come on… what's the scoop?"

Duo stared at Heero, hoping for some sort of reaction.

Heero smiled. Broadly.

Duo shook his head, and rubbed his eyes. When he focused on Heero again, the smile was gone. 'I really gotta switch to decaf, I'm beginning to see things.' Duo thought.

"Duo, our experience was disturbing at best." Relena chided, "I don't appreciate you making jest out of our ordeal." She led Heero away, Duo's head following the couple as they passed.

Just as Heero was about to pass Duo's line of vision, Duo could have sworn that Heero stuck his tongue out at Duo, but as Deathscythe's pilot turned his body to get a better look. Heero was facing away from him once again, but Heero had Relena's hand in a gentle grip as they proceeded down the hall.

"What the hell…?" Duo said, flabbergasted. All of a sudden, his face brightened. "Wait… Heero and Relena hooked up! Oh YEAH! WUFEI, open your wallet, buddy! You owe me 30 creds!"

Noin knew that talking to Aelan could at times seem like talking to a wall. Sometimes, though, she swore that a wall had more of a chance at replying. This was one of those times.

"Well, so far, there doesn't appear to be any sort of activity from deep space. We haven't detected any folds that would suggest that Eden is planning anything." Noin explained, while Aelan continued to diligently focus on his terminal.

"It is possible that the Tenant Council had already set up safeguards to make sure their rookie Tenant did the job he was supposed to do. I think that you should be careful." Noin continued but with still no response.

Noin pursed her lips, then finished, "By the way, I fully intend to strip naked, and dance in this pool of chocolate pudding I had put here while you were working."

"I highly doubt that you would be able to get enough chocolate pudding through that door without me noticing, Lucrezia." Aelan finally replied.

"So you ARE listening." Noin smirked, but Aelan had already went back to working on his terminal.

Finally, curiosity overcame the Admiral. "What is so entertaining on that terminal that you won't even make eye contact with me?" As she began to walk around Aelan's desk, he turned the terminal so that once again, the screen was out of her line of vision.

"Aelan, what are you being so secretive about?" Noin sighed in exasperation.

Aelan looked up at her. Now that he had taken out the colored contacts he had used as part of his disguise, his bright orange eyes seemed to burn into her soul deeper than they had before. "Do you really want to know?"

"Yes." Noin answered confidently.

With a defeated breath, Aelan turned the monitor back around so that Noin could see the project on the screen. "You cannot tell a soul about this… yet."

__

Two days later…

"Are you sure that you don't want to come for a walk with me?" Heero asked, "It's not going to be this beautiful when winter starts to set in."

"I said that I'd join you later!" Relena repeated, "I do need to talk to Aelan first. I'll meet you at the Centennial Memorial."

Heero leaned over and kissed her gently, pulling away with a giant smile plastered onto his face, "I'll be waiting." With that, he slowly walked away, but not before looking back at Relena twice. She shooed him on, then started to turn back inside the offices.

'If one thing good had come out of our time in Hell was that Heero had changed greatly, and for the better.' Relena mused. 'Remembering what it was like to be totally alone had seemed to make him a lot more willing to embrace his life, and everything he had. Including me…' She said with a giant smirk.

Just outside the office, hidden behind the row of shrubs, were two figures. As the romantic couple split ways, and were finally out of earshot, one of them hissed, "Of all the heaven's injustices! How could such a heart of stone bleed?"

"Pay up, Wufei!" The other demanded, "You saw it for yourself."

Reaching into his wallet, Wufei pulled out several neatly folded credit notes. "What god has decided that he shall drive me into poverty?"

"I don't know, my dear man." Duo said cheerfully, "But I'll be saying my prayers tonight, I assure you."

"I'm sorry, Madame, but Advisor Aelan is not in his office." Aelan's secretary said meekly, somewhat embarrassed. The poor young lady obviously didn't like saying 'no' to a high dignitary.

Relena wasn't upset, however. 'He's probably down in the suit bay.' She thought. With a smile, she said, "Very, well. I'll just wait for him in the offices." She walked by the secretary, and once out of view, she took a quick left, which led to a stairwell, which eventually led to the hangars for the Gundam pilots.

Relena had noticed that the Advisor to North Am had been spending a lot of his time in the hangars. She assumed that he was preparing for what he had called an 'inevitable strike' from Eden. "It's amazing that not even a world with no weapons can truly have peace…" Relena muttered to herself.

That was one part about her trip to Hell and back that she wasn't enthused over. True, she liked Heero paying more attention to her, but Eden seemed to totally defy everything she had been taught. "Am I really striving for an unattainable goal? If a race like the Edenites couldn't do it, what makes me think that humanity can?"

She remembered Aelan trying to explain it. He had claimed that Eden wasn't necessarily a model case. He admitted that most Edenites were, and likely still are, VERY warlike, something that Eden's early history did seem to support. It is only the iron fist of the Tenant Council, and the threat of punishment in Hell that keeps them in line.

However, that brought up another set of problems in Relena's mind. Is the only way to attain peace by bringing down the oppressive hand that she had railed against since her childhood?

Before she knew it, Relena was in the hangar. The lack of activity seemed startling at first, but she realized that the pilots were most likely enjoying themselves like Heero was. Speaking of Heero, she decided she had to find Aelan fast, before Heero started to get worried.

As she walked through the hangar, she finally heard a pair of voices. They belonged to a pair of the suit techs that Aelan had hired three days ago. Listening intently, she was able to pick up on their conversation.

"Who would have thought that forging Durium was so simple?" One of them asked. "A specific supersonic frequency makes the stuff melt like ice!"

"No kiddin'. Why doesn't he want the whole damn thing made out of the stuff?" The other shot back.

"Supposedly, even when forged, Durium alloy still is affected by that frequency. That's why he wanted the main body and frame with the Gundanium alloy. Then just add the Durium as extra armoring."

Relena stepped to the side as the techs walked by. They were so engrossed in their discussion that they didn't even realize that she was there. Relena peeked around the corner they had appeared from, and noticed a small open door at the end of the hangar; a door she had not known was there.

Relena quietly strode to the door. She leaned across the half open door, and looked inside. The scene nearly made her shout in surprise.

On the other side of the simple wooden office door was an entirely new hangar. Aelan was at ground level, looking over a console. Right in the center was a large, golden colored mobile suit. She didn't know much about suits, but she could only guess that it was either complete, or very close to it.

"How could he have done all that in three days? Even with all the techs he had hired? He must have had these plans in the works for a while, like he knew that he was going to have problems with Eden…"

Suddenly, a large explosion rocked the hangar bays, slamming the hangar door shut, and throwing Relena against the hangar wall. Several more explosions followed, causing paneling and support beams to fall from the ceiling.

From the other side of the hangar, she watched Quatre, Trowa, Duo, and Wufei (in that order) bolt down the hangar steps, jumping nimbly away from the falling debris. As she watched them board their Gundams, and fly past the hangar doors above as the panels opened before them, she noticed that Heero had not been with them, and Wing Zero still remaining in its hangar, unmanned.

Relena fell backwards as another blast rocked the facility above, dropping a large I-beam on Heero's Gundam.

"I can't let something so valuable to Heero be destroyed…" Relena admitted, "Even if it IS a weapon." With a deep breath, she rushed down the hangar bay, and climbed the ladder up to the cockpit of Wing Zero…

Heero quickly pulled the scared child out of the strewn piece of metal that was once a jungle gym. The sudden attack on New Richmond took everyone off guard. Why hadn't the sensor arrays from the colonies caught such a regiment of suits forming an attack?

As he saw that the enemy units seemed to be focusing on the Advisor offices, it all clicked. "Unless the colonies were in on the attack…" Heero hissed, and quickly rushed off to the battle scene. Most likely the other Gundams were scrambled already, and he wanted to get back in time to help.

However, once he arrived, he watched Wing Zero emerge from the hangar bay. "What in hell is going on? Who is piloting…" He fumed as he watched the evacuation of the offices, then noticed Relena wasn't with them.

He quickly grabbed Aelan's secretary by the arm, and demanded, "Where is Relena? Is she still in there?"

"She was looking for Aelan." The young woman panted, "She said she was going to wait in the offices, but knowing that Aelan has been spending a lot of time in the hangars, she might have went down there…"

Heero looked back up at Wing Zero, and the other Gundams engaged in battle. "Oh, God… no…"

Relena had never piloted a mobile suit before, so she was quite pleasantly surprised that she was able to handle the thing rather well. She was no Heero, but it seemed like second nature as she lifted off out of the hangar.

She remembered Heero explaining how the Zero System enhanced the abilities of the pilot to levels they couldn't reach on their own. 'Could the Zero system be making up for my inexperience somehow?' She pondered.

Once clear of the hangar, Relena started looking for a safe place to land. As she scanned the surrounding area, she noticed the blips of enemy mobile suits on the sensor screen.

"Virgo Mobile Dolls." Relena commented, "Even I could take those things out with Wing Zero here…. WHAT ON EARTH AM I SAYING? I can't fight… I'm a pacifist… but I could take out those things, if I wanted to… AND I DON'T!"

Relena found herself arguing, with herself. There was a part of her that wanted to attack, to destroy those suits for what they were doing, but her logical mind was equally adamant that it was out of the question. "I'LL BE STARTING A WAR! Or will I? I'll just be ending a battle that THEY started."

"I CAN'T ATTAIN PEACE THIS WAY! But… isn't peace already out of the question? They already destroyed the peace I desire. And for that… THEY WILL PAY!"

Trowa watched Wing Zero emerge from the hangars, and he nodded. "Nice of you to join us, Heero…" Trowa said to himself, as he engaged two of the enemy mobile dolls that were trying to attack the evacuating citizens.

For a moment, Wing Zero just stood there, as if trying to understand the situation, which caused Trowa to show some concern. Usually Heero didn't have to think very long before acting in battle. Such trepidation was very uncharacteristic of Wing Zero's pilot. However, Trowa had noticed that Heero was quite different since escaping from his ordeals on Eden.

Finally, Wing Zero moved into the fray, quickly removing two of the enemy suits. However, there was none of the usual finesse that Heero was known to show. His ability to maneuver and dodge was almost unequaled. Wing Zero was winning on pure power alone, a trait that Trowa knew Heero tried to avoid, never utilizing more power than necessary. Yet, Trowa watched Heero blast ONE Virgo with his twin buster cannon, a definite waste of such a weapon.

"It's like he doesn't know what he's doing, like a novice." Trowa commented, trying to understand what the deal was. Then, looking back down to the ground, he saw… Heero?

"If that's Heero, who's piloting Wing Zero?"

"My enemies are those who destroy peace!" Relena shouted, nearly in a maddened froth, "AND I WILL DESTROY ALL OF THEM!" With a swipe of a beam sabre, Wing Zero obliterated the last mobile doll.

From there, she turned around, surveying the battlefield. All that remained were the Gundams. "How many people and cities did they destroy?" Relena hissed, "They are no better than those Virgos I destroyed. Friends or not, I must destroy them in the name of peace!"

However, as Wing Zero began to move, another blip appeared on her sensor array. Turning in the direction of the blip, Relena saw the golden suit that she saw in the hangar hovering over its launch point.

"RELENA!" Aelan shouted, "STOP THIS!" It became quite apparent that Aelan was operating the mysterious golden suit. "It's the Zero system, Relena! It's warping your mind and logical thought."

"Actually, I don't think I've thought clearer. It's so simple! If I destroy all who fight, no one will!"

Meanwhile, Aelan continued to try to keep Relena talking, while his fingers flew across the console on his left-hand side. With just a few more seconds, he could tap into Wing Zero's command matrix, and disable the Zero System.

"Relena, listen to me, you don't want this, and you know it." Aelan said.

"YES I DO!" Relena screamed in reply, "AND I WILL DO IT!" As Wing Zero began to thrust forward, straight at Aelan, beam sabre preparing to slice downward, Aelan hit the final button needed to deactivate the Zero System.

He watched as the suit slowed its assault, then finally stopped, "What have I done…?" Relena moaned, "What… have I done…?"

Aelan slowly guided Relena to the ground. Heero quickly caught Relena as she exited the suit, and he was quick to chide her, tears slowly dripping from his eyes as he pulled her into a tight embrace.

"What on Earth were you thinking?" He demanded.

"I didn't want you to lose something that has become such a part of you…" Relena explained.

"Damn it, Relena." Heero gasped, "As much as I use Wing Zero, and no matter how much it represents who I am, it's just a machine, although I know that it doesn't seem like it the way that Wufei and Duo treat the Gundams."

He took Relena's face in his hands, making her look him straight in his eyes before continuing, "A Gundam can be rebuilt. YOU CANNOT be rebuilt. If you are destroyed, you're gone forever."

"Heero…" Relena sighed.

"Promise me you won't ever do something so stupid ever again."

Relena could only nod. At that moment, Aelan stepped out of the golden suit, and reported, "This is NOT good. Amore Doran has just reported that a fleet of Virgo mobile dolls trashed her Fold Generator. At the same time, Kiron was reported leaving with a large contingent of soldiers through the fold at the L1 Colony, from there, the entire science bay holding the Generator was destroyed."

Heero looked up, all business once again. "It appears he's going somewhere that he doesn't want to be followed, but where?"

Aelan looked down, and said simply, "He's going to Eden. He has to be."

__

Eden, just outside the Hall of the Tenant Council…

"What do you plan to accomplish?" The voice of the Tenant Council asked.

From his position inside a Virgo mobile suit, Kiron was smiling sinisterly, "I will end the days that Eden needs to hide from the galaxy. No longer will we cloak ourselves from those would challenge us. Eden will return to the fore as it should!"

"Are you insane, Tenant Kiron? You will bring upon the mistakes of those committed eons ago!"

"Better to commit the mistakes of the past than to make entirely new ones!" Kiron shouted, then fired his beam cannon directly at the hall. With a deafening explosion, the hall, and the Tenant Council, were no more.

At that moment, Miliardo approached, and reported, "We have finished linking a Fold to the underground prison."

"Excellent." Kiron replied, and he followed Miliardo to the place in which the people of Hell were to be freed. He watched with a cynical smile as the first denizens of Hell stepped into the light of Eden, covering their eyes as they slowly adjusted to the brightness of Eden after a lifetime in complete darkness.

Kiron was indeed very pleased, "These people are going to look for a new existence on the surface. They will help me build a new Eden… and I shall be their god!"

__

Next Time…

_Kiron unveils his plan to bring Eden back to prominence. Meanwhile, Aelan begins the process to rebuild, and to bring together a force to take back his home. Also, Miliardo discovers that Kiron's plot is one that will not bring peace to anyone._

Coming in Episode 10: Miliardo's Folly


	10. Episode 10: Miliardo's Folly

****

Episode 10: Miliardo's Folly

All the pieces are in place, with the hopes of a new Eden emerging from the depths of their prisons, Kiron Gorrs hopes to make a new history for his people. But the motives of Kiron are starting to become clear, and his intentions are not peaceful.

Meanwhile, Aelan Marcus prepares to confront his old friend, but with the increasing realization that it can only end one way…

Kiron walked across the long line of stasis tubes that were filled with the denizens of Hell. If they were to be of any use, they needed to be at full health. While in stasis, Kiron was able to recover the people of Hell at an incredibly accelerated rate.

"Should we introduce the element now?" A voice asked. Kiron turned to see one of his two humans. This one had been also been trapped in Hell, which had provided Kiron with a most interesting aspect of humans, their resiliency. The Edenites and other beings in stasis still had a few days to go. Julio Doran had needed nothing more than three hours.

"Should we introduce the element, Excellence?" Julio repeated.

"I heard you the first time, Doran." Kiron almost snapped. He was still getting over that it was Julio that first brought the idea to light, and NOT Kiron, "No… They will need to be a full health before we even try such a plan. This formula could cause problems even to someone completely in good health."

"I see."

Kiron looked slyly over at the Terran engineer. "Why would you be willing to fight for my cause? The people of Earth might not appreciate the actions we are taking."

Julio sneered, and replied, "They abandoned me. Why should I have any compassion for them?"

Kiron smirked in response, "Good point. I like the way you think…"

__

North Am…

Noin listened intently as Aelan explained the functions of the mobile suit he designed, the project she saw on Aelan's terminal, code-named, "Commadore". Supposedly, he had the plans in the works for several months, once he had decided that he could no longer follow the desire of Eden.

"The first thing you should notice is it's unusual coloring. Alloyed Durium takes on a golden color, different metals alloyed with Duriam causing a slightly different shade." Aelan said, "There are some details that I thought to apply to some of the Gundams, but I decided not to interfere with suits that they are comfortable with. Like here, the wrist mounted beam sabres. With the sabre igniting through the hand mechanism, Commadore is considerably less likely to be disarmed."

Noin agreed, but techs on Earth had experienced trouble trying to keep the sabre from slicing off the hand of the wielding suit. Aelan's answer? A phased ignition unit, where the thermal beam isn't fully ignited until it clears the hand mechanism. Quite clever, she had to admit.

"I also have installed an inertial dampening system on Commadore. Using this, G-pulls and maneuvers that would normally cause most pilots to black out can be easily handled. I also took the liberty of installing similar units on the Gundams."

"I'm concerned with you utilizing the Zero System, however." Noin commented, "It's not exactly known for keeping the pilot…"

"Sane?" Aelan finished for Noin. "I had some worries myself, but as I ran through the tests, it didn't seem to bother me. Perhaps I am more capable of handling the barrage of information than most humans are."

"I see." Noin replied, but she could tell that he had another theory.

Aelan then pointed to the left shoulder of Commadore, where a very menacing black cannon was mounted. At the moment, it was pointing upward to the ceiling, but Noin was certain it had a swivel joint so that Aelan could pull it to a more feasible firing angle. "This is my pride and joy, the Matter Cannon."

"What exactly does that do?" Noin asked.

"It works on a similar principle to a matter transference beam, matter formed into energy, and when it reaches its target, transferred back into matter. However, there are two differences; one, there is no initial matter. The Matter Cannon generates sufficient energy to create a base matter equal to the mass of the target. The larger the target, the greater the charging time."

"And the second?"

"Usually, when a matter transference beam reaches its destination, it enters a buffer that stops the matter as it forms. The Matter Cannon doesn't have such a buffer. At the point of impact, the target is struck with a mass equal to its… traveling at just under the speed of light."

"Ouch." Noin grimaced, "I take it the downside is that it isn't exactly a multiple target weapon."

"Yes, although I'm working on that."

Noin's features softened, and she asked, "Are you sure this is what you want to do, Aelan?"

Aelan nodded, then answered, "Kiron obviously doesn't have anyone's best interests at heart, I finally hacked into his terminal networks, and discovered his entire, repulsive plan. If he takes full control of Eden, which I can only assume he's done, given time he will be a very difficult person to remove."

He took a deep breath, as if trying to control himself. Finally, he said, "Anyway, I told you all about this so that you wouldn't be so shocked about this…" He tapped a few buttons on the console in front of Commadore. Another hanger wall pulled away, and as it rose, Noin gasped at the sight. It was another golden suit, although this one was painted a deep blue over most of the Durium armoring panels.

"This is yours, Lucrezia." Aelan announced, "I call it Cygnus, for its exceptional agility and grace, something that I think reflects its pilot."

Noin was too stunned to reply. She looked over the entire mobile suit repeatedly. It seemed to draw her to it, like it was made for her. 'Wait, according to Aelan, this was made for me…' Noin thought, amazing considering how her thoughts were racing.

Aelan glanced at her in slight amusement, then asked, "Are you going to try it out?"

Noin shook herself out of her reverie, and could only manage to nod. Climbing the ladder to Cygnus's cockpit, the doors opening at her mere presence. Almost to the point of licking her lips, Noin stepped inside. Surprisingly, the cockpit didn't seem unfamiliar, like she had seen it somewhere before…

"I tried to keep the control panels as similar to the Ares and Taurus's you had piloted. That way, you didn't have to spend months learning a new set of controls." Aelan said from ground level.

"Thank you!" Noin called down. "I appreciate that."

Settling back into the slightly textured seat, most likely so that she didn't slide around during combat, Aelan then suddenly appeared just outside the cockpit, and said, "The only major difference I think you'll find is its performance. It has all the modifications that Commadore does, with the exception of the Zero System, and that's probably what will take some getting used to. You'll be able to do a lot in Cygnus that you didn't even dream of in any other suit."

Noin nodded, but she wasn't really listening. As peaceful as she wanted to be, the idea of flying Cygnus into a battle made her almost drool. Aelan seemed to catch onto her giddiness, and he added, "I've called the Gundam pilots into a training session with us at 1200 hours. We're going to need a lot of practice to make the most of these new units."

__

Three Days later…

Duo watched as Commadore suddenly pulled straight upward from a full forward thrust, a 90-degree change on Duo's Z-axis, causing Duo's Deathscythe Hell to nearly collide with Altron. Duo nearly screamed in disgust as Commadore fired two laser tags at the stunned Gundams.

"Two more hits for me." Aelan commented, "Currently, Heero still leads with 45 tags, Noin and I are tied for second with 41."

"THAT WAS AT LEAST A 15-G PULL!" Duo screamed, "How on earth did you stay conscious through that?"

"With the inertial dampening unit activated, it felt more like 5. You'd do better to remember that your Gundams DO have similar units installed. Heero doesn't seem to have any problem."

Commadore pointed over at Wing Zero, which was ducking and dodging both Heavyarms and Cygnus. True enough, Heero had adapted to the inertial systems, and was using it to full advantage.

"I do have something to ask you, Aelan." Quatre asked, gently lowering Sandrock Kai into the assembled group of mobile suits. "It's only been three days, and yet your piloting skills are on an even par with ours already. Are you really able to learn all the little nuances of combat that quickly?"

Commadore's head dropped, probably mimicking Aelan. "Partly. There is something that I should explain about the Edenites. Since the beginning of our race, fighting has seemed to be in our blood. We were masters of war."

"That was 300,000 years ago, Aelan." Duo commented, "Don't you think that it would have been weaned out of the Edenite psyche by then?"

"Compared to the existance of my race, 300,000 years is but the passing of an hour hand. The Tenant Council merely eliminated any records of the time before the rise of Eden's New Order."

"I see." Duo answered, a smile starting to play on his face. Judging from the reactions of Altron and Sandrock, they all had the same idea. "Well, Aelan, I must say that you've learned a lot in three days, but there's one thing you still need to learn."

Aelan sounded interested, and asked politely, "What's that?"

Simultaneously, all three Gundams fired laser tags at Commadore, and Duo laughed, "Never drop your guard in front of an opponent!" The three Gundams broke their haphazard formation, taking off quickly.

"Even I can still be played for a fool by these pilots, it appears." Aelan mused before launching Commadore in hot pursuit.

__

Back on the World of Eden…

Kiron stood at the head of several tables set out for the people of Hell. There was well over 15,000 strong, and now fully healthy, more than enough to field the superior might of the new Edenite militia. 

"People of the New Age of Eden, I commend your support." Kiron said to begin the celebration. Servers began pouring wine to the varied assembly, and Kiron poured a glass himself from the flask in front of him. He raised his glass in a toast, "Without you, none of what is about to happen would be possible. To a new Eden!"

"TO A NEW EDEN!" Was the unanimous reply, and everyone shared in the toast. Julio smirked slightly. If Kiron thought he hadn't noticed that the new leader of Eden hadn't drank from the same flasks as the rest of the assembly, he was mistaken.

"Nice try, Kiron, but I'm not nearly the fool you think I am." Julio muttered, as Kiron continued with his speech.

"The people of Eden are now building us the means in which we can defend this planet from those who would challenge us." Kiron said, "No race will have to be destroyed any longer by the superiority minded Tenant Council. No person will have to be imprisoned in Hell for seeing a different view."

In response, there was a multitude of cheers. Kiron then sat down, making sure his voice amplifier didn't fall off the neck band of his uniform. He picked up his half-empty glass, and swirled the beverage around the lip, before he continued, "But, I can't help but wonder why we should be content to merely defend."

The cheers suddenly quieted, and was replaced with a confused silence. Kiron then added, "I mean to say that we will have a force that is second-to-none in the galaxy. There is not a race that could even come close to challenging us. Why not take advantage of this obvious fact?"

He looked over the assembly, then said, "Why can't this galaxy be ruled by the strong? Why must the weak whine about the control of those stronger than them, and why must the strong listen? Because of the writings of religions that no one has ever been able to prove are truth? Because of the pathetic wailing of pacifists who don't have the courage to put their own lives on the line? I will change these things. The only god in this galaxy shall be ME, and my supporters will be my scribes; only my script will be written in the blood and the tears of the weak."

There were a number who seemed to support this statement, but it wasn't as large as Kiron had hoped. Not that it mattered, soon anyone who didn't like what he felt would have no choice BUT to follow his every word.

An hour later, Kiron leaned back in the throne that he had made the weaklings of Eden build for him. An Emperor needed a place in which it all started, and it was here that Kiron would become divine…

"Kiron, we need to talk." Miliardo Peacecraft spoke, approaching the throne and the raised dais it rested on.

"Please continue, my Terran friend." Kiron replied flippiantly, not even looking in the human's direction.

"When you enlisted my aid, I was under the impression that you desired nothing more than the defense of Eden, so that no race would ever have to be destroyed at the hands of the Tenant Council." Miliardo seethed.

"Desires change, my associate." Kiron soothed, "Why must I be content with a little pebble when I can grasp the whole mountain?"

"I don't think your desires have changed at all." Miliardo challenged, "I think this was your desire from the beginning."

Kiron finally looked at Miliardo. The Edenite's eyes burned with a sadistic desire, and his lips curled in a sinister grin, "And you'd be right. I will be the ultimate being in this universe. Peace is nothing more than a recourse of the weak to avoid showing their weakness. I will not be weak!"

Miliardo had heard all this before, from himself. Had it not been for pure circumstance, Earth might have been the victim of Miliardo's desire. Miliardo was not going to allow circumstance to play a factor here.

Pulling out the pistol he had hidden in his belt, Miliardo was about to end Kiron's ambitions before they even started.

"Oh, I wouldn't do that, Mr. Peacecraft." A voice said from the shadows. Julio Doran then emerged, his gaze reflecting the insidious desire of Kiron. "You see, I anticipated that many of the denizens of Hell would not be so enthused by Kiron's plans. So, we had something extra put into the wine you drank at the celebration."

"What do you mean?" Miliardo demanded.

Kiron then laughed sinisterly, then replied, "My background as a Edenite medical technician helped me here. It was a formula that controls the brainwave patterns of the recipient. With the help of this little transmitter," Kiron held up a small black box, "I can control just what you think, and when you think it. Now, kneel before me." Kiron finished by pressing the transmitter.

Miliardo fought with every fiber of his soul, but the command was beyond his control. His eyes seething with hate, Miliardo kneeled before Kiron, and to the desires of the "New Eden".

__

Next Time…

Aelan begins to rally the support of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation, but discovers that his greatest challenge to his plan is someone he had assumed would be a staunch supporter. Finally, he gains the acceptance of the Earth, and leads the Terran forces to his home…

Coming in Episode 11: The Siege of Eden


	11. Episode 11: The Siege of Eden

****

Episode 11: The Siege of Eden

All the pieces are in place, with the hopes of a new Eden emerging from the depths of their prisons, Kiron Gorrs hopes to make a new history for his people. But the motives of Kiron are starting to become clear, and his intentions are not peaceful.

Kiron's ambitions have finally been realized, he wants nothing more than total control of the galaxy, dreams that are slowly being realized as his army is built by the Edenites under his boot. At his control is a legion of warriors that have no choice but to do his every bidding.

On Earth, Aelan Marcus has unveiled two incredible weapons of his creation, and given his equally incredible expertise to the people of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. In exchange, Aelan hopes that they will in turn do him a favor; helping him free the his home from the sadistic control from one that Aelan used to call his friend…

The President of the Earth Sphere couldn't have imagined that he would encounter such a strange tale when he announced his campaign almost one year ago. He held up his hand to cease all discussion, then said, "This… is all incredible. Advisor Aelan, are you totally serious in what you claim?"

Aelan nodded to the assembly, "Yes, sir. Everything that I have told you is definitely true. I myself have performed actions that upon retrospect were not in anyone's best interests. I cannot change those, but I have tried to reimburse all those mistakes I have made."

Several of the gathered diplomats nodded. Much of Aelan's suggestions and designs had caused humanity to attain levels of advancement they had not anticipated for generations. Many of them could only wonder as to what more he had to give.

"However," Aelan continued, "There is still one mistake I need to remedy, that of my once-colleague Kiron Gorrs. He has enslaved my home, and is using them to build an army in which he can control this entire galaxy. But, I cannot do this alone. I need the help of a United Earth in order to solve this problem."

The President narrowed his eyes, then said, "Continue."

"As we speak, the Fold Generators at L1 Colony and Mexico are being rebuilt. They should be completed in five days. When they are, I hope that the Earth Sphere will be able to launch all available military personnel in a seige of Eden. Kiron's force will not be at full ability, and I think that we will have enough of a chance."

The President thought about this. At first he had questioned Aelan's motives, but reason started to sink in. If Aelan was still siding with Kiron, why help them? Why tell the truth? Why not just continue the subversive measures that had been so successful before? Finally, he made up his mind totally. Almost looking directly at Relena, asked, "Anyone opposed to this measure?" Oddly enough, Relena did not reply, at least… not in the way he expected.

The Foreign Minister stood to her feet, then said softly, "In my journey to Eden, I discovered a world that had no weapons, yet still had no peace. I have seen a world which given the option and the means would destroy anything in its path." 

She then addressed the entire assembly. "Do I like fighting? No, but I have come to realize that there are points in which talking will do no good, the evil that plagues a person's heart makes discussion a worthless gesture. These are one of those times. I personally have suffered because of the lies of Kiron Gorrs. I watched a man who has become my friend nearly be killed because of Kiron's lies. If true peace is to be attained anywhere, Kiron Gorrs cannot be allowed to continue his sick ambitions."

The President of the Sphere had now heard everything. Relena Peacecraft… allowing, and giving her blessing, to an act of force? Allowing this to sink into his now racing thoughts, he queried, "Anyone OPPOSED?"

For a moment, there was silence, then suddenly Chief Admiral Noin of North Am stood, "I am opposed."

Aelan was absolutely railroaded. He hadn't seen this one coming. "Lucrezia… what in heaven's name are you doing?"

Noin ignored him, and said, "There is still one chance to resolve this without fighting."

"Explain, Admiral Noin." The President said. Fighting a battle against a superior foe was not his idea of a good bet. If what Noin claimed was true, then he had best pursue it.

"When I was investigating the first sabotage of the L1 generator, I came across a strange individual that broke the case wide open. I know now that the person was Miliardo Peacecraft."

A slight rumbling was heard through the assembly, but Noin paid it no mind. "He gave me a recording that showed Aelan sabotaging the generator, but he also slipped in this…" She held out a small communications unit, most likely Edenite in design from the way that Aelan reacted to it. "I know now that Miliardo is the one who helped Kiron gain Eden. I believe that Miliardo can convince Kiron to cease this. If he can, then there is no need to fight this war."

Aelan was quick to respond, "And what if he can't?"

Noin shook her head, "Miliardo can end this, whether Kiron agrees to it or not." She activated the comm relay, and sure enough, a holographic projection appeared of Miliardo Peacecraft.

"Noin…" Miliardo sighed, "I figured you'd contact me eventually."

"Miliardo, you know what Kiron plans to do is wrong." Noin pleaded her case, "You have to stop him, for everyone's… for my… sake."

Miliardo seemed to smile, then replied to Noin's request. "I've already tried, and I failed. I cannot stop Kiron from what he plans to do."

"WHAT?" Noin shouted, "What in hell do you mean? Do you honestly support this man after all that you have fought against?"

"I have no choice."

"WHAT?"

"Kiron somehow created and used a chemical that allows him to control the actions of his entire army. We cannot do anything other than what he commands. The only reason I can contact you is because he allows it."

"Trius Yadorphine." Aelan mumbled, "An Edenite drug that causes the brainwaves of its subjects to be manipulated. Kiron's medical expertise shining through. It only makes sense…"

Suddenly, Noin watched Miliardo shudder, as if he was struggling against something. When the tremors stopped, Miliardo Peacecraft was a changed man, "Your desire for peace falls on deaf ears, Admiral." He hissed, "Kiron will be the new divinity, and your precious peace and humanity will be nothing more than stains of blood."

Noin was in disbelief, "How can you say these things?"

"Kiron is my new lord and master. Those who accept his absolute power MIGHT be spared. Those who oppose him will be destroyed. It's as simple as that." With that announcement, the communication went dead.

For a moment, it looked like Noin was going to cry, but that quickly changed to seething. She then looked up at the president of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation, and hissed, "For the sake of Miliardo Peacecraft… I have NO objections…"

__

Four Days Later, the Night before Operation Eden; Mexican Highlands…

Duo looked over the panels of Deathscythe Hell, trying to locate any small fractures in the hull of his mobile suit. Finding none, Duo then ran a thorough diagnostic of the suits internal systems. Nothing again.

Jumping down to the ground, Duo leaned against the foot of his suit, the strong breeze blowing his long braid slightly. "Nothing's out of place on Deathscythe here. Then why does something seem wrong?"

The reason walked right by in a full combat outfit, and down the path to the block of Virgos and other assembled units that would be one half of the siege force. Duo rushed after the pilot, screaming, "HILDE!"

The pilot turned around, and said, "Duo! I figured you and the other Gundams would be stationed here. I was lucky to get stationed with you guys."

Duo grabbed Hilde by the shoulders and shook her gently, "What are you thinking, girl? Are you seriously going into this battle?"

"The call was to ALL able bodied soldiers of the Earth Sphere. I can't turn down that calling." Hilde replied simply.

"Do you understand how likely it'll be that we're all killed?" Duo nearly shouted, "What about all your plans; what about our plans? I can't let you do this!" He was on the verge of tears

Suddenly, Hilde became indignant, "And yet I should let you go off into a warzone like this?" She looked like she was about to follow Duo's lead, "Duo, I don't want to live without you… I'd rather die WITH you."

"No one said I was going to die on Eden!" Duo answered, "I've got the means to survive! Your chances aren't nearly as good as mine!"

"Still… I don't want to hear the news that you were killed, and have to think that maybe… if I was there… one extra soldier. I don't want to think that I could have made a difference… I wouldn't be able to live like that…"

Duo's anger receded. He WAS being selfish. Embracing her, he answered, "All right. I understand, but you better make it out of this alive, you hear me, babe?"

"Same to you… babe." Hilde answered with a slight smile.

Trowa Barton nearly smiled. It was somehow reassuring to have Catherine yelling at him, even if it was only over a telecom. It reminded him that someone cared.

"I can't believe you're doing this!" Catherine screamed, "After all you said that the danger is minimal, now you tell me that the chances are that none of you are coming home?"

"I have to do this, sister." Trowa answered, his face unemotional, "Kiron has to be stopped, even if it means my death."

"BUT WHY YOU?"

"Because I don't want it to be you."

Catherine was brought to silence, more by Trowa's facial expression than his words. He was… crying.

Trowa continued, "I don't want to see you or anyone one of the people I'm close to hurt. Kiron intends to crush anyone that he doesn't see as worthy. I just know that Earth will not be good enough in his eyes."

"Trowa…"

"If my fighting means that you will be safe from this tyrant, I'd fight every single one of his army on my own. I've had enough of the innocent suffering at the hands of an oppressor. No more. NO MORE!" Now Trowa was angry, his fist pounding next to the telecom.

Catherine pulled away from the telecom. He definitely was sure about what he wanted to do. In a mere two minutes, he had shown more emotion than in all the time she had known him.

"Thank you, Trowa… my brother."

Quatre smiled. It was nice to see his sister, Iria, again, but he could have hoped for better circumstances.

"You're going to be… where?" Quatre gasped.

"On the medical frigate, silly." Iria giggled, "I'm not in much danger. We'll be well distanced from the fight."

"That's not so much what I'm worried about." Quatre replied, "I don't want you to see…"

"You getting killed?" Iria finished, "That won't happen, I know it."

"How can you be so sure? After what OZ did to father… Kiron's even worse…"

Iria dropped to one knee, eyes level with the sitting Quatre. "I know you aren't going to die. I can feel it… I just know that we are going to witness a miracle."

Quatre knew that once his sister started getting optimistic, it was catching. Quatre couldn't help but smile, then reply, "Maybe you're right… maybe you're right…"

"Are you ignorant, woman!" Wufei shouted, "You shouldn't be going to this hellhole, especially on the command ship!"

Sally Po was just as stubborn, "And why not? They saw my skills as a tactician, why can't you?"

Wufei clenched his fists, and hissed, "It's not that I doubt your abilities… and before you say it, it's not because you're a woman either. I know that's the excuse I give most of the time, but…"

"Then what is it, Wufei?" Sally asked.

"The woman that I was to be joined with lost her life because I was unable to protect her. On Eden, I won't be able to protect you, either." Wufei admitted. How was Heero able to do this? It was so hard… "If you were to die in that way, I don't know if I could keep on living."

"Wufei?" Sally said breathlessly.

"As much as I tried to close my heart to all feeling, you punched through with that iron will of yours. Now, I stand on that brink once more. I don't want to close myself off again… I'd rather kill myself."

Sally Po was dumbstruck. She had grown quite attached to Wufei, she had to admit, but she had not realized the degree in which he returned those feelings. Suddenly, she found herself doing a 180. "Listen… if you don't want me to…"

Wufei suddenly cut her off, "We DO need to concentrate on winning this battle, first and foremost. I cannot allow my feelings to jeopardize our success, even if the risk of losing you is high. Let me promise you though, if something happens to you, I will not rest until I personally see every single one of those bastards of Kiron's crushed under Nataku's hand of justice!"

Relena leaned against Heero's chest, savoring what could very well be one of her last moments with him. The idea that Heero might not see another nightfall wrenched her heart into pieces. However, as she looked up into Heero's eyes, he seemed so totally calm.

Her mouth asked what her heart had wanted to. "How can you be so calm about all this? Don't you understand just what you are going in to?"

Heero looked back at her, and she saw all the love for her in them. All his dreams, all his hopes, she could see them. Relena didn't want to think that this could be the last time she saw them, "I don't want you to go. I don't want you die… not now, not like this."

Heero looked up at Wing Zero, his thoughts not totally on the battle ahead. "I don't intend to die on Eden." He looked back at Relena, "Even if the very depths of hell were to open to try and swallow me, I will not die. Nothing is going to keep me from you ever again."

Relena was taken aback slightly. His determination even made her believe. Heero then cupped her face in his hand, and said, "For once, I have someone I have total faith in. I trust in you totally. I'm asking you to trust in me. I will return to you. I don't care how big of an army Kiron has. Nothing, I repeat, NOTHING, is going to keep me from coming back alive."

Relena responded by kissing him, but not at all like what they shared in Eden's Hell. That one was an affirmation of what might never come again. This one was a promise of what WOULD come again.

When she broke away, she muttered, "Heero, hurry up and come back to me."

He smiled, and answered, "With all of God's speed."

Aelan stared off into space, at the stars that encased his home. At this time of year, the star system that Eden held orbit around would be barely visible over the horizon, that is, if the light from the star had been strong enough to reach such a distance.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Aelan?" Noin asked as she slowly stepped to his side. "After all, you are declaring war on your own home."

Aelan didn't even look at her, but he retorted, "I suggest you worry about your own people, and leave my people to me, Lucrezia. Do you realize that the chances of our victory are barely above 11%, even if we were to strike now?"

"You make that assumption based on a lot of factors that you really have no way of knowing are true. And you aren't including something that Sally Po and I came up with."

"What do you mean?" Aelan answered, staring at her.

"It's a surprise." Noin chuckled, but she whispered it in his ear nonetheless.

Aelan's mouth pursed in thought, and he admitted, "That does change things rather considerably. However, maybe I should turn your question around to you. Are you sure you want to do this? I can see how much you love Miliardo. If push comes to shove, can you do what you need to do?"

Noin dropped her head, and replied, "I can only hope it doesn't come to that."

"Then so can I." Aelan said, with a slight tone of disapproval, "Lucrezia, over the time that I've been here, I've found you becoming one of my closest friends. I sincerely hope that you won't ever have to do what you must consider your deepest nightmare."

"Thank you." Noin admitted, "When I was first brought here, I didn't know what to expect. Your support helped me through all of this, and continues to even up to this point. I'm glad that you consider me such a friend."

"Stay alive, Noin." Aelan almost ordered.

"Only if you promise to do the same."

__

The Next Morning…

"It's time to go." Aelan ordered over the intercoms. In mere minutes, the entire force was assembled. Thrusters began to ignite as mobile suits of various types and pilots maneuvered into the space-faring carriers that would bring them to Eden.

Once all the suits were inside, the massive hangar doors closed, and Aelan then ordered, "Were all set to go, Amore. Begin fold generation."

A few seconds later, a massive fold appeared in outer space, visible even from the Earth below. A second fold from L1 Colony appeared as well, slightly smaller, but only due from being farther away.

The carriers then lifted off, breaking free from the persistent pull of Earth, and into the fold, emerging just above the atmosphere of the planet that would soon be the sight of a cataclysmic battle.

Eden…

__

Next Time…

_The battle for the galaxy begins, as Sally Po and Admiral Noin unveil their surprise that levels the playing field somewhat. However, it still comes down to actions that some could consider a miracle to turn the tide in Earth's favor._

As the battle begins to wear down, Noin must make a choice, and Aelan confronts Kiron for the final time…

Coming in Episode 12: Paradise Lost


	12. Episode 12: Paradise Lost

****

Episode 12: Paradise Lost

All the pieces are in place, with the hopes of a new Eden emerging from the depths of their prisons, Kiron Gorrs hopes to make a new history for his people. But the motives of Kiron are starting to become clear, and his intentions are not peaceful.

Kiron's ambitions have finally been realized, he wants nothing more than total control of the galaxy, dreams that are slowly being realized as his army is built by the Edenites under his boot. At his control is a legion of warriors that have no choice but to do his every bidding.

On Earth, Aelan Marcus has unveiled two incredible weapons of his creation, and given his equally incredible expertise to the people of the Earth Sphere Unified Nation. In exchange, Aelan hopes that they will in turn do him a favor; helping him free the his home from the sadistic control from one that Aelan used to call his friend…

As Aelan jumped into Commadore, and the unit pulled his harness tight, he was immediately patched into the command ship's bridge. The various Marshalls of the Earth Sphere were assembled, and quickly gave a report on the enemy's status.

"As of right now, we are detecting close to 7,000 Edenite mobile suits, along with about 2000 small infantry, along with other various ground troops. As you had expected, initial scans of the suits confirmed that the hulls are completely made of Durium alloy."

Aelan mentally compared the sizes of both forces, and said softly, "We outnumber them 5 to1, a smaller ratio than I had expected. Kiron had really pushed Eden into working… if he had to push them at all."

As this was going on, Noin seated herself in Cygnus, followed by the majority of the mobile suit forces. 'The ground troops will disembark if… no, AFTER, the mobile suits gained a foothold, and suits won't disembark until after…' Aelan thought as Noin activated her own communication system.

"All right, Sally, begin charging the sonic emitters. Let's show these Edenites a little human cunning."

"Well, I didn't expect them to be late." Kiron smirked as the space carriers finally appeared just above Eden's atmosphere, and slowly began their descent to the planet's surface.

"Should we engage the Ventrali Cannon?" Julio asked, "We could easily remove many of their units before they even touch the ground. We might even get that Tenant friend of yours."

"I will deal with Aelan on my own! I want him to see the cannon before it's used on him." Kiron snapped, "As for the rest of them, why waste such a beautiful weapon on them? There just humans."

As Kiron killed the connection, Julio smiled, and said, "We're just humans? That attitude is going to be your undoing." He looked at the small ribbon that he had attached to the top of the cockpit in his suit, and said, "Don't worry, little Amore, I'll be home soon."

At that moment, one of the main vessels dropped slightly, breaking from the descent formation. Julio watched as he detected a sudden surge of power then a sonic burst that ripped through the atmosphere.

"DAMN!" Kiron screamed, then suddenly ducked behind the suit facility, Julio quickly following suit. "Of course! Aelan must have thought of this one. He's using the sonic frequency used to forge Durium to weaken the armoring of our suits! Behind here, the frequency should be muffled, so we won't have that problem."

"But our forces don't have that luxury. This makes things interesting." Julio couldn't help but grin. "Go figure… they might just pull this one out after all."

As the pair emerged after the sonic wave dispelled, they saw the carriers unloading the first waves of mobile suits. Kiron was definitely irked at this most recent development. "Prepare the Ventrali Cannon! Take out as many of those damn things as possible! All units, prepare to engage the enemy!"

The first thing Aelan locked onto was the giant cannon that had taken up a position just behind the line of units. "That thing is massive!" Aelan exclaimed, as he examined the sensor readings on the cannon's output. "This is definitely unexpected."

Aelan then patched through to the command vessel, and said, "Have the other suits continue the assault. I'm going to take care of that cannon!"

"Affirmative, Advisor." Was the reply, "Be careful."

Aelan didn't respond, throwing Commadore into full forward thrust, trying to break through the enemy lines with as little interference as possible. So far, there wasn't any energy signature to suggest that the cannon was ready to fire. He was hoping that he could take it out before it did so, and ripped a nice swath of damage.

"That's it, Aelan. Just a little closer." Kiron muttered from his mobile suit well behind the battle lines, "Drop the masking system and fire on my mark."

Meanwhile, Julio scanned the battleground, seeing that the closest unit, and the best chance for intervening was the large black mobile suit about one kilometer away. Julio quickly patched into its communications unit…

Duo pulled his twin scythe out of the thick Durium hull of his opponent, but even after that incredible blow, there was not much damage beyond the armor panels. "Damn!" Duo yelled, "And these are supposed to be EASIER to beat now?"

A pair of laser blasts rocked Deathscythe Hell, and he suddenly felt fortunate that he also had Durium plating, unaffected by the sonic blast. Duo quickly whipped around, firing all his weapons at the new enemy unit. At the same time, a familiar Virgo dropped down behind the first suit, and fired its beam cannon into the open wound that Deathscythe had created.

The enemy suit was then demolished, just as Duo put the finishing touches on the other enemy that had appeared. Duo looked over at the Virgo, and said, "Well… and here I was thinking I was going to have to cover your cute little butt."

"Oh gee, Duo, that was somehow not as complimentary as you must have intended." Hilde replied, and Duo smiled broadly. Suddenly, he heard a transmission from an unknown source.

"Listen, you don't have much time." A voice demanded, "That large cannon's energy building is being masked. It's a trap to lure in the enemy! You have to pull your units out of the firing range."

Duo glanced downward, watching Commadore swooping through, about to pass the battle line in his route to attack the cannon unit. "Oh, hell!" Duo swore, "Thanks, whoever you are." But there was no reply.

"Hilde! Stay frosty! I'll be right back!" With that, Duo brought Deathscythe on an intercept course with Commadore.

"DUO!" Hilde shouted, "WHAT IN HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!"

Duo didn't answer her, it was probably best that she didn't know that he was risking his neck on a tip from a person he didn't even know. Oh well. All of a sudden, whatever was masking the power buildup dropped away, because all of his sensors suddenly jumped off the scale.

"AELAN! HEADS UP, BUDDY!" Duo shouted, colliding with Commadore, and shoving the large golden gear as far as he could. After that, Duo powered Deathscythe's thrusters, hoping to clear the blast zone. He was only partially effective.

The massive cannon fired, sending an immense beam of energy ripping through the battlefield, and rifling off into space, unimpeded by anything that was foolish enough to get in its path. One of those foolish things was the almost totally right side of Deathscythe Hell.

Duo could feel the energy from the blast crackle in his ears, then he felt the breeze. Looking to his right, he saw… the sky?

"Oh, hell… That was closer than I would have liked." Duo muttered, then noticed the large suit had also lost all its stability. With only one good thruster, the black mobile suit suddenly dropped like a stone. Duo disengaged the thruster to prevent the possibility of a violent spiral, and just waited as the ground rushed up to meet him.

Despite all the damage, it was obvious that the communications system still worked because he could hear Hilde screaming through it, "DUO! DUO, ANSWER ME! Get out of there!"

"No can do, Hilde girl. I've taken too much damage, and my leg seems to be stuck in the debris. Just keep you're eyes open. That thing might fire again!"

Deathscythe Hell then crashed at top speed into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust that once settled, gently covered the suit, almost like a burial…

Heero watched as Deathscythe Hell meet the ground at a very unhealthy speed. Quickly slashing through one of the Edenite suits that stood in his way, Heero piloted Wing Zero at full speed, stopping just meters short of where Deathscythe had fallen. He arrived just seconds after Hilde's Virgo, as the young girl jumped out of her suit, and towards the ruined Deathscythe.

"Duo?" Heero asked into his communications system, "Are you all right?" With the way that the Deathscythe looked, Heero didn't hold too much hope, but he knew Duo rather well. There was no way that Duo would be dead; Heero just wasn't that lucky.

"Heero… what the hell… are you doing? There's a damn war going on…" Duo gasped in pain. At that moment, Commadore quickly joined the group, followed by Cygnus.

"Hilde!" Aelan ordered, "Try and get Duo free! Noin and I will provide some cover for you. Heero, you stand guard, and try and hold the fort against anything that might get through our defense!"

"Agreed." Heero answered, and watched the two golden suits take to flight once again. At the same time, he heard Duo mutter, "What on Eden are you doing? You'll be… a sitting duck, Heero!"

Heero took a deep breath, then answered, "I'm not about to let you die, Duo. Hilde would never forgive me."

"Yeah…?" Duo retorted, "Yeah, well… Relena would kill me if she heard about this!"

Heero couldn't help but smirk, "I suggest you worry about surviving this. THEN, you can worry about Relena."

Julio watched the brightly painted mobile suit standing in front of the fallen black suit, serving as a shield against any attack. Somehow, he knew exactly who it was. It was… Heero.

Julio watched in terror as the large Ventrali cannon moved again, locking onto its target. The weapon was most likely being aimed at Aelan's suit, but it would easily engulf every unit in Aelan's vicinity, including Heero.

Julio read the output of the cannon start to rise, and for a moment, he was frozen. He remembered the time that Heero and his… girlfriend(?)… had visited Hell. He also remembered stepping inside his cave to see the pair cuddled up against each other in a way that even made Julio's hardened heart melt.

Then, the aged scientist looked up at the Amore's ribbon, the symbol of his hope that would never die. Meanwhile, the cannon reached its full charge, preparing to fire. "My Amore… I wanted to see you… but I can't let this young man end his life like this… not when he obviously has so much to return to. I know what I must do." Julio tapped out one last message, and sent it to Heero, and then took Amore's ribbon into his hand, clenching the silk tightly in his grasp.

Julio suddenly ignited his beam sabre, and as the cannon began to generate its massive beam, he sliced through the operational bay of the Ventrali Cannon, and the entire mechanism exploded with a massive blast, engulfing Julio's suit in the process.

Heero looked over at the gigantic eruption just behind the enemy lines. The huge cannon that had been pointed almost directly at him had suddenly detonated, its threat now abated. Then, the console screen in front of him flashed with a message.

__

    * Tell my Amore "Goodbye", Heero.------- Julio Doran.

It took Heero a moment to realize just what had happened, but soon it all clicked. Julio Doran had made it out of Hell, sure enough, and had given his own life to destroy the cannon. At the same time, Heero saw Hilde finally pull Duo clear of Deathscythe.

For a moment, Heero didn't move a muscle, he was too overcome with a wave of emotion that he had not encountered often. Never had he felt so… enraged. With a scream of anger, Heero then took off again, bringing Wing Zero just in front of Commadore and Cygnus.

"Advisor, Admiral. Follow me!" Heero said, almost a demand. "I will clear the way for you through the line. It's time that we ended this!"

Without waiting for a reply, Wing Zero thrust into the fray again, slicing through any enemy who was so careless as to even THINK about stopping him. Heero glanced back to see that Commadore and Cygnus had indeed followed his lead. Seconds later, Heero burst through the line, and where one single golden suit, blood red painted on its panels, was waiting no more than three kilometers away.

"I'll go back to the main battle line to keep our enemies busy. You two… get rid of that monster."

Noin watched as Heero then surged back into the fray, leaving her and Aelan to face off against Kiron. She couldn't imagine how much Heero wanted to do the deed himself, but he was probably still concerned about Duo.

Looking over at Commadore, which didn't even seem to acknowledge her existence, Noin launched Cygnus forward, Commadore taking up a position right at her side.

Without warning, another suit appeared on Noin's sensor array. It dove in front of the pair of suits, barring their path to Kiron. "Hello, Noin." Miliardo's voice said from the suit, his voice threatening.

Noin could almost see Kiron smiling maniacally at this situation. Noin could almost feel her blood start to boil. "You are one twisted man, asshole." Noin grumbled. At the same time, Miliardo brought his beam sabre up to attack, but Noin made no move to counter. She couldn't… she wouldn't harm him…

Commadore prepared to move in her defense, but before Miliardo could even bring the sabre down, he froze. From over the intercom, Noin could hear her love's voice. "I WILL NOT!" Miliardo screamed defiantly, "YOU CANNOT MAKE ME!"

"Miliardo?" Noin asked hopefully.

"Noin…" The elder Peacecreft gasped, "I can't… fight Kiron's control much longer. You have to kill me… NOW!"

Noin balked, and stammered, "I can't…"

"YOU HAVE TO! If you don't do it now… I'll start fighting you again, and I won't be able to stop! I can't hold out much longer… Noin. Do it."

"Aelan… you do it… I can't…"

Miliardo interrupted, "Aelan will need all the power he can get to defeat Kiron! When did you become so weak, Noin?" His voice then dropped into a plea, a plea from a man who couldn't bear to be used again, "Please, my love…"

Noin dipped her head, slowly gaining courage, "Miliardo… As much as I don't want to be the one to kill you… I can't let you be someone's puppet anymore. FORGIVE ME!"

With that, Noin punched out with Cgynus's fist, sending the metal hand through where the cockpit to the suit lied. Both mobile suits fell to the ground, Cygnus on one knee above the suit of Miliardo Peacecraft.

Commadore dipped slightly floating a few meters above and behind Cygnus. "Lucrezia…?" Aelan asked concerned.

The tears flowed liberally, a mourning that could not be stopped by even the promise of heaven itself. Between sobs, Noin could only request, "Kill him… Kill that bastard, Aelan."

Commadore then lifted slightly, as if scanning the scene ahead. After a moment of hesitation, the large golden mobile suit engaged its powerful thrusters, burning a path through the air, directly heading at the cause of all the recent suffering…

Aelan accelerated forward with frightening velocity, and Kiron made no move to avoid the bum rush of Commadore. Commadore grabbed Kiron's suit firmly by the neck piece, and lifted it off the ground.

"It's over, Kiron." Aelan said commandingly in his native tongue, his voice tense with grief and anger.

"Why? Are you not satisfied, Aelan?" Came Kiron's reply.

"What?" Aelan asked, shock adding itself to all the other rampaging emotions.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" Kiron stated simply, his voice with a hint of triumph, "Didn't you want an Eden that didn't have to hide anymore? Didn't you want an Eden that didn't have to destroy countless races for its own safety? I gave you what you wanted! Is it not enough?"

Aelan almost couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could he have desired to destroy his home? True, he hadn't wanted to continue the way that things had been, but he never desired for this to happen. "I never wanted this!" Aelan protested.

"Where did you think your actions would lead?" Kiron asked accusingly, "By rescuing those who would destroy us, and by amassing a fleet to challenge me? What did you honestly think would happen? Did you expect that all those that we had destroyed would drop their arms in some mutual forgiveness?"

Aelan stopped. What HAD he expected? "I don't know…"

"Face it Aelan, you are just as responsible for creating this new Eden as I am! How dare you condemn me for sins that you too have committed?"

Aelan dropped Kiron's suit, and backed away slowly. As Aelan dropped his head, his suit mimicked its pilot's movements. He contemplated everything, all that he had done. As much as Aelan hated to admit it, it was something that he knew deep in the core of his soul. No matter what he did, his sins and actions would remain. Even if he won this battle, even if he killed Kiron, he would still have lost. Paradise was no more.

He learned one of the dark secrets of war, there was no winner, only someone who lost less…

Meanwhile, Lucrezia Noin watched in disbelief as Commadore backed away from certain victory, dropping Kiron's mobile suit to the ground. "Aelan, what the hell are you doing?" She nearly screamed into the intercom. The four active Gundams joined her in watching the scene taking place.

"He has realized what he has done." Trowa said, as if answering Noin, "He can't kill Kiron because he knows that he is nothing more than a hypocrite."

"How dare you, Barton?!" Noin replied, almost fuming. Trowa's accusation of Aelan was almost a declaration of treason in her mind.

"Aelan has caused just as much of where we are now as Kiron did." Heero added, "If Aelan had not acted the way he had, no one would be in this position. Just as if I had not done what I had done, none of this would have happened. But unlike me, Aelan doesn't have any delusions that what he is doing is right. He knows he is merely perpetuating the sins that Kiron has begun."

Kiron slowly stood, watching Aelan's suit stand motionless. Igniting his beam saber, Kiron prepared for the final strike. "That's it, Aelan. Just stand right there like a good boy."

Noin watched in horror as Kiron sprung into a sneak attack, "Aelan! LOOK OUT!!!" She screamed.

Aelan brought Commadore's hand up, and caught the wrist of Kiron's saber hand, mere inches before it had struck its target. "You're right. I am just as responsible for what has happened here, and maybe I can't fix the damage that has been done, but I can remove you before you make Eden everyone else's hell!"

With that, he brought up his other arm, and launched a beam of energy right into the chest of Kiron's suit. The force of the blow sent the suit flying out of Aelan's grasp, collapsing several hundred meters away.

Kiron slowly brought his suit up to a standing position, laughing as he did so, "Is that how you explain it all away? By dumping all the desire for power, the want for blood, the very nature of destruction, all on me? Is that how you make yourself better than I?"

"No. Those things can never be embodied by just one person, Kiron." Aelan retorted, "I am no better than you. I have those same desires, the same nature as you and as everyone in this battle, in this galaxy, even in this universe. However, there is one major difference between you and I."

"And what is that?" Kiron sneered in contempt.

"I strive to be better!" Aelan shouted, then launched himself into the attack once more…

Along the sides, Noin and the Gundam pilots waited, along with the remaining siege force, respecting Aelan's will to battle Kiron one on one. Noin marveled at the serene paradise that she had been shown by Aelan, and the torn and battered landscape that they now stood.

"It's incredible that a land that was so perfect, so untainted for millennia, could collapse in just a few short weeks."

Heero disagreed, "I am sure that Aelan would reply that the disease infecting this land existed long before the start of this battle. It merely took this long for the contamination to become visible to the eye."

For the longest time, it seemed like the fight would never end, but eventually, the tide began to turn. Aelan's superior knowledge in the field of engineering became more and more apparent as Kiron's gear couldn't keep up with the power and speed of Commadore.

Kiron took a large leap backward, then said, "I may have lost this battle, but it was not an unanticipated scenario." From above, another fold was appearing, and Kiron took off for it.

In reaction, Noin started to follow, hoping to intercept Kiron in time, but Heero interceeded, "Wait. Aelan has this covered."

Noin looked over to see the Matter Cannon of Commadore move from its normal position behind its shoulder, to right next to the head unit, held much like a bazooka. A blue energy began to spiral into the barrel as the weapon charged.

If time slowed, Noin wouldn't have noticed, because barely no time at all passed between the firing of the matter cannon and its end result, a deafening collison and Kiron's suit being blasted into nothing more than a cloud of superheated plasma.

The entire force made a collective sigh of relief. The battle, and all that it had cost, was finally over.

__

Hours later…

Heero stepped over the rubble of the suit that Julio Doran must have been piloting. Finally, in the cockpit, he saw the almost ashen remains of what had been a most honorable man. As he began to pay his last respects, he noticed a small pink piece of fabric flapping in a gentle breeze.

Picking it out of the remains, Heero discovered Amore's ribbon. Somehow, it had remained unharmed during the blast, as if Julio had willed that it remain intact. Heero put the article into his pocket, now remembering the only way that he could honor Julio's memory.

As that happened, Aelan watched from the open doors of Commadore's cockpit the people of Eden beginning to clear out the battlefield. Those who were now free of Kiron's control had a lot of rebuilding to do.

From the ground, Noin called out, "You know, one of Earth's religions talks about a paradise called Eden. It was perfect, yet humanity's desire to be like God caused its downfall."

Aelan nodded, and replied, "A somewhat accurate analogy, but the peace of Eden was but a mirage. It was only a matter of time before this happened."

There was a pause, then Noin said, "What are you going to do now? Are you going to help Eden rebuild?"

"No. They will have enough trouble without me serving as a reminder as to the people who destroyed this world. Besides," He added with a mischievous grin, "I still have a year and a half in my term."

Noin returned the smile, then said, "Let's go home, Aelan."

The former Tenant stepped into the cockpit of Commadore, its doors closing as he took his seat. As he prepared to board one of the many carriers waiting to leave, he agreed, "Yes. Let's go home."

__

Mexican Highlands, the next day…

Amore turned at the sounds of footsteps coming into the Fold chamber. "Heero." She said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Heero only replied, "You were right."

"Pardon?"

He stopped right in front of her, taking her palm, and placing the faded pink ribbon in her now shaking palm. She looked at the object knowingly, as Heero said, "He wasn't going to die without saying goodbye to his Amore."

Oddly enough, she didn't cry. All she did was ask, "What happened? How did he…"

"His actions saved thousands of lives, if not more, on both sides. Without him, I don't think I would be here to give this to you. He died a true hero, in all possible senses of the word."

Amore smiled sorrowfully, then answered, "Thank you, Heero. I'm sure that my father knew how incredible of a person you are. He wouldn't have done this for just anybody…"

"That's where you're wrong, Amore" Heero concluded simply. "He did this for everybody."

__

Finally finished. Before I close the book on this run, I want to thank everyone who had supported me in this project; especially apol_pie, astronomy_girl18, balora_99, shin_okami, and TheThreeRealms of the Non-Yaoi Gundam Wing Fan Club, for being the quote "guinea pigs" of this project. Suffering the trauma of my first drafts, and their suggestions and corrections of my sometimes skewed material. Without them, I don't think this would have nearly turned out as well as it did.

_Until Next Time (and with all God's speed),_

Thomas Knapp

"Chemiclord" 


End file.
